After the criticism he received for the mistake that cost Charles Leclerc the race, Kimi Antonelli returns to Monza, one year after being announced as a Mercedes driver.
Kimi Antonelli returns to Monza, where he competed in his first official Grand Prix free practice session with Mercedes last year, only to crash into the wall after a few minutes: “A lot happened here last year. I have some good memories, others more negative. It’s a very special circuit and it will be an equally special weekend. This is where I was announced as a Mercedes driver. It’s been an intense period since then. So far, I think it’s gone pretty well.“ The Italian driver’s hope is that his W16 will be competitive at the Temple of Speed: ”It’s always difficult to understand where we are because the cars are getting closer and closer. Last year at Monza, the car was competitive, especially in qualifying. And this year, we’ve generally done well where we did well in 2024. So let’s hope it’s the same this time.”
On the possible similarities between the Monza track and the Montreal track, where he achieved his first and so far only podium finish of the season, Antonelli commented: “There is much less downforce here. There are some sections similar to Montreal, but others are very different, especially in the second part of the track. However, we hope to be able to repeat the results from Canada. We’ve gone back to the old suspension, which gives us more confidence, so we hope to have good speed.“ For Kimi, this is his second home GP after Imola, at the end of which he said he wanted to manage his home races differently: ”It was my first home race, I put a lot of energy into other activities, and when I got into the car on Saturday, I didn’t feel 100%. This weekend, I’ll be able to manage myself better than at Imola.“
The mistake in Holland— Antonelli arrives at Monza after making a bad mistake at Zandvoort, which cost Charles Leclerc the race. In general, the last few months have not been easy for the 19-year-old Italian: ”I have to focus on myself and what I have to do. It’s easy to get lost by focusing too much on the end result. Although it hasn’t been the easiest of times, I think it’s much better to focus on the things you need to do, which are driving well, putting things together, and helping the team find the right balance. The best way to do that is to focus on myself and try to iron out every single detail.”
