Andrea Kimi Antonelli overcame a difficult history at Monza to secure an impressive sixth-place qualifying position during the 2025 Italian Grand Prix on Saturday. The 19-year-old Mercedes driver’s success came despite the pressure of past incidents at the circuit and a grid penalty that affected one of his competitors, Lewis Hamilton, which helped promote Antonelli’s starting spot.
Antonelli has had a challenging relationship with the Monza track since his first race there last year, when he crashed at the notorious Parabolica corner. The 2025 qualifying session was further complicated by a tough practice run in which Antonelli went off track and caused red flags after getting stuck in gravel. Nevertheless, he demonstrated resilience and turned the session into a breakthrough performance.
Overcoming Tensions and Adversity During Qualifying
Reflecting on his nerves ahead of qualifying, Antonelli admitted,
“I’m not going to lie, I felt very tense going into qualifying.”
He added,
“After my mishap in FP2, I lost momentum. FP1 was strong, and I felt like I had good momentum, but then I went off early in FP2, which made me feel like I was starting from zero in FP3.”
Despite these setbacks, he managed to rebuild his confidence and execute a strong run in the final session.
He further expressed satisfaction with his progression during qualifying, stating,
“It was not easy, but I’m happy with how I built the run throughout the session.”
This maturity and composure signaled his growth as a driver, especially given the high stakes of the Monza circuit.
Key Factors Behind Antonelli’s Qualifying Recovery
Saturday’s qualifying marked a definite improvement for Antonelli compared to earlier sessions. He commented on his progress, saying, “Yeah, much happier.” Reflecting on his recovery, he noted,
“Finally, clean qualifying after a difficult period, so I’m quite happy. Just a shame for the last lap.”
Early on, he struggled with tire temperature management, particularly battling grip issues at the start of his lap.
“I had a lot of moments, especially with the rear,”
he revealed.
Despite these challenges, his performance improved significantly in the closing sector, boosting his hopes for race day.
“Hopefully the race pace is going to be good tomorrow, and we can put on a fight,”
Antonelli added, demonstrating his readiness to compete strongly in the upcoming race.
Team Insights and Support from the Crowd
Mercedes’ technical director James Allison offered perspective on Antonelli’s cautious approach, linking it to the lingering impact of last year’s crash. Allison observed,
“The 2024 crash may have left him approaching race weekends with a degree of caution.”
However, Antonelli’s experience gained over the past fifteen races has built his confidence.
“I knew much better what to expect after Imola, so I felt much more at ease with everything,”
Antonelli said.
The young driver also expressed appreciation for the enthusiastic crowd support, which helped lift his spirits.
“I’ve been really trying to embrace the cheer from the crowd, which has been amazing,”
he shared, underscoring the motivating role fans play at Monza.
Has Antonelli Finally Conquered the Monza Challenge?
Antonelli affirmed that he has moved past his previous struggles at Monza, declaring, “Yeah, definitely.” He highlighted his confidence in the final sector’s pace, saying,
“The last sector was almost powerful in the laps, so I’m really happy with that and definitely I overcame what happened in Parabolica last year.”
With the race approaching, many will watch closely to see if Antonelli can translate his strong starting position into an outstanding finish. His determination and progress at Monza signal a promising future on this iconic circuit, and expectations are high for the young Mercedes driver to continue making an impact.
