Antonelli Unfazed by Monza Practice Off-Track Excursion: 'Confidence Remains High'

Mercedes rookie Andrea 키미 안토넬리 admitted he "pushed a bit too hard" during second practice for the Italian Grand Prix at Monza, leading to an early end to his home session after a trip through the gravel. Despite the setback, the 19-year-old maintains that his confidence is still intact.

The Incident

Just nine minutes into FP2, Antonelli lost control of his W16 at the second Lesmo chicane on his second push lap. While he managed to catch the initial slide, he couldn't prevent running wide into the gravel, where his Mercedes became beached and caused a red flag.

Why It Matters

The early exit cost the young Italian crucial track time, especially on a weekend where he aims to impress his home crowd. However, Antonelli quickly brushed off the incident, emphasizing his sustained confidence.

The Details

"I just pushed a bit too hard for the grip at that moment and it was a shame," Antonelli explained. "The day was looking good. I had a good FP1 and then the start of FP2 was looking strong, so confidence is still high."

This incident marked Antonelli's second challenging Friday at Monza in as many years, following his FP1 debut in 2024, which also ended prematurely in the barriers at Parabolica.

His teammate, 조지 러셀, also faced difficulties, finishing 10th in FP2 and nearly four tenths behind pace-setter 랜도 노리스 of McLaren. 러셀 admitted to struggling with confidence in Mercedes' low-downforce setup.

• "It didn't feel amazing out there. I was struggling for a bit of confidence and I had a few moments similar to like 키미," 러셀 commented.
• "It was just difficult to keep the car in a good spot. It was a tricky day at Monza, you're back on that low downforce car, sort of floating around and the rear's pretty loose. It didn't feel spectacular out there for us today."

What's Next

Mercedes trackside engineering director 앤드류 쇼블린 is optimistic about overnight improvements to boost the Silver Arrows' pace. "Given how close the field looks, small improvements overnight may have a big impact over the rest of the weekend," he stated.

"We will work diligently with our team both trackside and back at Brackley and Brixworth to get the most out of the car. It's difficult to overtake here so we'll be doing everything we can to have a strong qualifying and secure good starting positions for Sunday."

Antonelli acknowledges the need for a revised program for Saturday but remains ready for the challenge. "Obviously, tomorrow we'll have to do a bit of a different programme but we'll try to be ready for anything."