Kimi Antonelli reveals "different mindset" for F1 Italian GP return
· Yahoo Sports
Kimi Antonelli returns to the Italian Grand Prix this weekend armed with a 59-point lead in the drivers' championship and a completely different mindset to his troublesome home race debut in 2025.
In 2025, he suffered a messy race at Monza, in which he was handed a five-second penalty for a clash with Williams's Alex Albon and shown a black-and-white flag for track limits, before picking up two points with a ninth-place finish.
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A year later, the Mercedes driver, who turned 20 last week, will arrive at Monza as the current leader of the Formula 1 standings with six grand prix wins under his belt so far this season.
While speaking to F1.com ahead of his home race, the Italian explained that he was going into the race weekend with a "different attitude".
"I'm very excited. I think it's going to be a great atmosphere and it's going to be a lot different compared to last year," he said. "I'm definitely going in with a different attitude, different mindset, and definitely I feel like I'm going to be able to enjoy the weekend a lot more. I'm really looking forward to be back."
Kimi Antonelli, Mercedes
Kimi Antonelli, MercedesMercedes team principal Toto Wolff confirmed during the Dutch Grand Prix weekend that Antonelli would take a grid penalty for his home race due to a planned power unit change. The exact penalty is yet to be confirmed because its severity depends on how many new power unit components the Brackley outfit installs on Antonelli's car, but it will be a minimum of 10 places.
"With Kimi, we're taking the full thing. Our calculations say that that's the best track to take it," Wolff explained.
"Obviously, algorithms don't take their nationality into consideration. We're here to fight for a championship and not get the most PR. So yeah, that's what we're going to do."
The Italian Grand Prix will take place at Monza from 4-6 September.
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