The pros and cons of a penalty
The big moment has arrived: Andrea Kimi Antonelli is ready to hit the track this weekend as the world championship leader in his Italian GP at Monza, but for the young Bolognese Mercedes driver the chances of stepping onto the podium are low. Due to the introduction of the fifth power unit, #12 will start from the back of the grid, but this aspect actually helps him reduce tension while waiting for the GP: “The feeling is very special and definitely very different compared to last year – he commented during the FIA press conference – I really can’t wait for this weekend to start, even though we will start from the back. I think it will be a lot of fun, I will be able to enjoy it much more than I have in the past and hopefully we can still have a great race. In some ways starting from the back helps to reduce some of the pressure, even though I would clearly prefer to fight for pole and start at the front, but I think it can make me a bit calmer in facing the weekend and I believe for this reason I will be able to enjoy the driving itself more. Obviously it is a different opportunity to try something new during the weekend, especially in free practice. We have the opportunity to do it and it will be interesting.”
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The chances of a comeback
Although difficult, the chances of a comeback are not to be considered impossible for the world championship leader, even if he indicated that the opportunities for victory are still low: “I think it’s a circuit suited to us, but we have seen how strong McLaren has been in the last two races, and Ferrari will definitely be ahead, especially with the new engine. Although we have not brought any updates since Canada, I think our car is still very strong, and I believe this track is good for us, but we have to take into account that McLaren, Ferrari and also Red Bull could be fast this weekend. I would be very happy to win. I will start from the back and with minimal thoughts in my head. Obviously the goal is always the same and we will try to get the best result. Realistically I believe it is possible to finish in the top five, and much will depend on the pace we have, how fast we go and what the gap between the cars will be. Maybe we will be very fast, but then McLaren, Red Bull and Ferrari will be very close and we won’t have the pace to catch them during the race. We’ll see, I definitely feel very free mentally on the eve of this weekend, I am really very excited and I can’t wait for it to start, but without pressure.”
Changes from 2025
Antonelli has been the protagonist of great growth from his first season in Formula 1 to this year, with the same Mercedes driver explaining what the ‘secrets’ were that allowed him to make the big leap in quality: “I don’t have to prove what I had to prove last year. I was also coming from a difficult period, so I felt I had to prove my worth to be worthy of being in Formula 1. I think this greatly increased the pressure I put on myself. This led me to drive very cautiously, and I didn’t enjoy the moments I experienced in the car, as I am doing this year. This year I am also lucky to have a great car. I feel much more mature and much more in control of situations. Then, once you start getting good results, you have less and less to prove.”
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