Andrea Kimi Antonelli already looks ahead to his home race at Monza. Whether the young Italian can secure another victory there in his now successful second year in Formula 1, however, remains to be seen. The Mercedes driver will face grid penalties for the Italian GP, as team boss Toto Wolff mentioned earlier. Still, Kimi Antonelli is excited about the Italian race weekend: ‘I think there will be a great atmosphere’.
Read more Toto Wolff has now made peace with Abu Dhabi 2021: ‘Max is a deserved world champion’
Andrea Kimi Antonelli started his second year in Formula 1 excellently. Only seven wins ever have been achieved by a teenager in the premier class. Before the young Italian claimed six of these Grand Prix victories this season, the count stood at just one: Max Verstappen’s win at the 2016 Spanish GP. That the past months have gone quite well for Kimi Antonelli is therefore an understatement.
“Experience plays a huge role,” says Kimi Antonelli in an interview with F1. “Of course, I still need to gain a lot of experience, but I think last year, despite all the bad moments and difficult periods, was exactly what I needed. Because of that, I have grown even more than I expected. It has made me emotionally and mentally stronger.”
The success of the young driver has not gone unnoticed. Especially in his home country Italy, Kimi Antonelli now has a large fan base. “I enjoy it,” he says about his new fame. “I try to enjoy this moment as much as possible. Of course, there are moments when you unfortunately cannot please everyone, but I try to enjoy it as much as I can. I also try to do as much as possible for the fans, because I find them very special and they form a big part of our sport. I think they are the ones who really make it even bigger.”
Read more ‘Red Bull would have stayed in F1 even without Max Verstappen’
On to Monza
Kimi Antonelli’s fans will certainly be present in large numbers at Monza, the driver’s home race. Despite the grid penalties awaiting him – Mercedes has decided to replace several engine components on the Italian’s W17 – the young driver is looking forward to his home race.
“I think there will be a great atmosphere and it will be very different from last year,” he says. “I will definitely go there with a different attitude and mindset, and I certainly feel that I will be able to enjoy the weekend much more. I am really looking forward to being back.” In 2025, the home hero’s best result at Monza was only ninth place.
Read more Back in time: 1962 Monaco GP brought to life for Ocean’s Eleven prequel
Read everything about the Italian GP here
