MILAN (AP) — As Kimi Antonelli gears up for his home grand prix at Monza, he carries the weight of being the Formula 1 championship leader, a title he holds at just 20 years old. This race, however, will not be without its challenges, as Antonelli must start from the back of the grid due to a significant penalty imposed after Mercedes opted to change his car's power unit. This decision was made to mitigate potential reliability issues as the season progresses.
Two years ago, Antonelli made his F1 debut at Monza, but it was a short-lived experience, lasting only 10 minutes before he was involved in a crash during the first practice session. Reflecting on that moment, Antonelli expressed disbelief that he would be leading the championship just two years later. "If someone, while I was walking off in the gravel, would have said, ‘in two years you’re going to be leading the world championship in this exact moment,’ I would have said ‘shut up … don’t joke with me,’" he recalled. His journey from that debut to the top of the standings is a testament to his growth and determination.
Antonelli's current position as the championship leader is historic; he is the first Italian to lead the standings heading into his home race since the legendary Alberto Ascari in 1953. However, the last Italian driver to win at Monza was in 1966, and Antonelli's hopes of breaking that streak have been complicated by his grid penalty. Despite this setback, the high-speed nature of the Monza track may play to his advantage, as overtaking opportunities abound, allowing him a chance to recover positions during the race.
While Antonelli acknowledges that winning may be a long shot, he believes that the lack of pressure could work in his favor. "I’d very much rather fight for pole and start at the front," he stated. "But in some ways, I feel like it makes me a bit more relaxed going into the weekend. And I think also that’s why I’m going to be able to enjoy more the driving and the weekend itself." His focus remains on maximizing the result, but he approaches the race with a sense of freedom and excitement.
In the championship standings, Antonelli leads teammate George Russell by 59 points, with defending champion Lando Norris trailing by another 24 points. The atmosphere at Monza is always electric, particularly for Ferrari, which has a passionate fan base known as the tifosi. This year's race is especially significant for Ferrari as they celebrate the 30th anniversary of Michael Schumacher's first victory with the team at Monza. The team will feature a special livery on their cars, and both Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc will don race suits that pay tribute to Schumacher's seven world titles.
Ferrari has also upgraded its engine in hopes of securing another victory at Monza, but Norris, who is aiming for a third consecutive win after victories in Hungary and the Netherlands, remains unfazed. He stated, "I’m not worried at all. I mean they’ve been very competitive; it probably will make them more competitive. Good on them, they’ll make our life a bit trickier." Norris emphasized the importance of focusing on their own performance rather than being overly concerned with Ferrari's upgrades.
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