Kimi Antonelli has admitted he is less confident about charging through the field at the Italian Grand Prix after Ferrari's engine upgrade. This comes despite Fernando Alonso predicting a podium finish for the Mercedes driver at Monza.
Mercedes deliberately fitted a fifth power unit to Antonelli's car for his home race, forcing him to start from the back of the grid. The rational decision was made to exploit Mercedes' 2026 engine advantage on Monza's long straights.
Aerodynamic Dilemma Amidst Rival Dominance
However, Friday practice showed Ferrari has made a significant step with its new engine. Antonelli claimed top speeds are now equal, though GPS data reveals Mercedes still holds an edge of around 5 km/h on three main straights.
"Ferrari definitely took a step forward with the new engine and now the speeds are the same," said Antonelli. "We know how good their car is in the corners, so it's going to be a tight fight."
Lewis Hamilton, now at Ferrari, also expressed concerns about his straight-line speed deficit to George Russell. He is losing about six-tenths of a second only in the straights, which is a serious issue for the team.
The Champion's Big Gamble
Starting from the back with an estimated race time loss of up to 20 seconds, Antonelli must overtake at least one Ferrari to reach the podium. Yet, Monza's many slow corners make overtaking more difficult.
Antonelli said he learned a lot by following the Ferraris in practice, especially about energy deployment strategies. "It's a track where you can do so many different things, it was interesting to see where they were deploying compared to us," he added.
If Antonelli fails to meet the podium target, he risks losing valuable points in the championship fight. The pressure is even greater as this is his home race in front of passionate Italian fans.
Read Also
Laurent Mekies defends Red Bull's appeal that reinstated Isack Hadjar's Monaco podium. Read the analysis of its impact on F1.
Charles Leclerc ready to tow Lewis Hamilton in Italian GP qualifying. How will Ferrari and Mercedes strategize at Monza? Full analysis inside.
Leclerc ready to tow Hamilton in Italian GP qualifying, while Antonelli ready to help Russell. Discover Ferrari and Mercedes slipstream strategies at Monza.
Continue with Google
Discussion (0)
Join the Discussion!
Sign in easily to start commenting, replying, and interacting with other readers.
Latest Comments
No comments yet. Be the first!