Antonelli ‘much more prepared’ for Monza after Imola lessons

Mercedes rookie Kimi Antonelli says he feels “much more prepared” to tackle the pressures of racing in front of his home fans at Monza this weekend, having learned from the struggles he endured during his first home at Imola earlier this season.

The 19-year-old Italian has experienced a mixed debut campaign in Formula 1. After celebrating his first podium in Canada back in June, Antonelli has since only scored a single top ten finish, and he suffered a penalty-laden outing in Zandvoort, where despite showing strong pace, he slipped out of the top ten due to his own errors.

Last year’s FP1 crash at Monza, where he pushed too hard to impress his Mercedes team, and a tough outing at Imola have shaped his approach to this weekend’s race.

Speaking at the FIA press conference on Thursday, Antonelli expressed confidence in his preparation, emphasizing a sharper focus on energy management and mental clarity.

Lessons from Imola: A Smarter Approach

Reflecting on his Imola experience, Antonelli admitted that the demands of his first home race caught him off guard.

“I will be much more prepared and definitely I know much better what to expect [from my home race],” he said.

“Definitely, I know much better how I need to move around, how I need to behave during the race weekend in order to be 100 per cent every time I go in the car.”

The Italian charger pinpointed energy management as a critical lesson.

“I would say I would be more prepared. It was my first home race and there was a lot going around, especially outside the track. Also on my side, I didn’t manage energy the best way and just going back in the car, and not feeling 100 per cent, also focus-wise,” he explained.

“I feel like on that side I will know much better how to react and how to behave so I think that’s the main learning. Also try to manage the energy the best way possible during the whole weekend because you start the weekend and as you arrive to Sunday, you have a bit less energy overall.”

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Antonelli recalled the toll of Imola, noting: “The most important thing is you arrive with the most amount of energy. I remember being in Imola and already from the Saturday I was pretty tired. That was good learning and I don’t want that to happen again.”

This time, he’s determined to stay sharp from Friday practice through to Sunday’s race.

Eyes on Progress, Not Just Results

Antonelli’s Dutch Grand Prix showed glimpses of promise but also highlighted his rookie growing pains.

He was on course for a strong top-six finish before two penalties – one for a clash with Charles Leclerc and another for speeding in the pitlane – dropped him out of the points.

Reflecting on how he wants to approach Monza, Antonelli stressed the importance of focusing on execution rather than obsessing over results.

“It’s really easy to get lost and just focus too much on the final result. Instead, I think it’s much better – and I haven’t been doing super well – just focus on the things like driving well, put things together and then helping the team the best way to find the best balance as well,” he said.

“I think that’s the main thing to do – trying to focus on myself and trying to get every detail right.”

As Antoneli takes to the Temple of Speed this weekend, all eyes will be on whether the young Italian can translate his lessons into a standout result.

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