It was already brutal enough for Ferrari at the Italian Grand Prix, but Mercedes decided to twist the knife on social media the day after. Kimi Antonelli pulled off something absolutely special on Sunday at Monza, storming from 19th on the grid all the way to victory in his Mercedes. The 20-year-old championship leader became the first Italian driver to win the race in 60 years, the last one being Ludovico Scarfiotti back in 1966. For the Scuderia though, it was a nightmare, with Charles Leclerc crashing out early and Lewis Hamilton limping home a distant sixth.

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The German manufacturers weren't about to let this moment pass quietly. Mercedes dropped a cheeky advertisement across its social media channels featuring Antonelli standing in front of a Mercedes C400, with the headline reading 'FIRST ITALIAN TO WIN AT MONZA IN 60 YEARS' and a tagline that read 'It only took an incredible racer, and a German car'. Here's where it got really savage: the car Antonelli was posing with? It was bright red. The shade of Ferrari red. The message was crystal clear.

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This kind of competitive banter has become pretty standard between the two rivals in recent years. Italian outlet Gazzetta dello Sport spoke with advertising expert Davide Ciliberti, who absolutely loved the execution. He called it 'funny with just the right amount of spice, but always respectful of the opponent'. The jabs between Mercedes and Ferrari have become must-watch content for fans, and everyone's now waiting to see if the Prancing Horse can come up with a response. Given how things are going for Ferrari at the moment though, that comeback might take a little while.

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Antonelli's dominant performance, combined with Mercedes' ruthless marketing follow-up, has sent a real statement heading into this weekend's Spanish Grand Prix in Madrid. The Silver Arrows are heavily favored to be the team to beat once again, while Ferrari faces an uphill battle to get back into contention.

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