Kimi Antonelli is set for a momentous Monza weekend even if he will be starting his home Italian Grand Prix at the back of the grid and chasing Ferrari.
The Mercedes driver, who turned 20 only last week, arrives as the first Italian in 73 years to lead the Formula One championship to the ‘Temple of Speed’.
On course to become his country’s first champion since Alberto Ascari secured his second title in 1953, Antonelli leads teammate George Russell and Ferrari’s Lewis Hamilton by 59 points after 12 rounds.
McLaren’s reigning champion Lando Norris is a further 24 points adrift after winning the last two races in Hungary and the Netherlands.
Russell, Hamilton and Norris will all be sensing an
opportunity, as will Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc, with Antonelli
taking a new engine and with it enough penalties to send him to
the back of the field and ensure he will be the chaser and not
the chased.
“It’s disappointing for him and for the fans who want to see
him fighting from the front in his home race, but our sport
doesn’t reward sentiment,” said team boss Toto Wolff.
“When you make decisions that benefit the championship
campaign, sometimes you pay a short-term price. The objective
now is straightforward: recover as many places as possible and
maximise the points.”
Overtaking is always possible at the superfast low-drag
circuit with its long straights and slow chicanes, but drivers
will have a new challenge with the new power units in managing
power deployment given the relative lack of braking zones to
recover energy.
That could also mean the use of tactical aerodynamic tows
between drivers.
The race, with the fans creating a sea of red beneath the
podium, is always special for Ferrari, who also have an updated
power unit to boost their hopes of a home win. The team are
commemorating the 30th anniversary of Michael Schumacher’s first
Italian Grand Prix victory with the team in 1996.
Leclerc has won twice for Ferrari in the past at Monza,
Hamilton five times with McLaren and Mercedes.
“Racing in front of our tifosi gives the whole team
incredible energy and this year there will be an additional
dimension as we celebrate Michael Schumacher and the legacy he
has left in our company,” said team boss Fred Vasseur.
McLaren will have some minor aerodynamic upgrades as well as
a rotating rear wing — dubbed the ‘H Wing’ — that they tested
in practice in Hungary last July without using in the race.
“We know we have had a quick car at the last few races, but
we are not taking anything for granted. This is a very different
track from the most recent ones, and we can expect a pecking
order that not necessarily reflects what has been seen in
Hungary and in the Netherlands,” said technical director Neil
Houldey.
Four-time world champion Max Verstappen won last year at
Monza, his third victory at the circuit outside Milan, but the
Red Bull driver was not offering any prediction after crashing
out of his home race at Zandvoort on the opening lap.
“There are a few things we need to work on to be a bit
closer to the pace and to make sure the balance of the car is
right,” said Verstappen, who will again have New Zealander Liam
Lawson as his teammate with the injured Isack Hadjar missing his
second race in a row.
That also means reserve driver Yuki Tsunoda, brought back
from the beach last time, returns as stand-in at Racing Bulls.
Source: Khaleej Times