Kimi Antonelli finished only 21st in the qualifying session of the Italian GP of Formula 1, but he already knew that a penalty would change his position on the starting grid. Even without being able to fight for pole, the Mercedes driver states that he still had an important mission to fulfill for the team and for George Russell.
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The Italian admitted that the situation made the preparation for the session different from usual: “It was a very strange feeling to arrive at the qualifying session knowing that I would serve a grid penalty for changing the power unit. Naturally, I would like to be fighting for pole and starting at the front this weekend, but that is not the situation we are in,” he said.
Antonelli explained that despite the compromised position, he tried to make the most of the session to contribute to Russell’s performance: “I still had a job to do for the team and to help George, so I gave my best and I’m happy to have been able to do that today,” he added.
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For the race, the Italian driver hopes to turn overtaking opportunities into progress through the pack. Antonelli highlighted that Monza allows for more intense battles for positions and said he intends to make the most of the scenario.
“Tomorrow is all about enjoying the race and making the most of every opportunity. It’s a track where you can have a lot of fun, and there should be many chances to gain positions,” he added.
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