Kimi Antonelli: “Ferrari has taken a step forward”

During Friday’s free practice session, Andrea Kimi Antonelli focused on race pace, since it’s already certain he’ll start at the back of the grid after fitting a new power unit to his Mercedes: “Today was different from a typical Friday because I focused mainly on long runs.”

“It was a little strange—I won’t lie. But it was a good day; we collected a lot of data, and now I can’t wait to get back on the track. Monza is a track where you can do a lot of different things”—as reported by Motorsport. “During today’s long runs, I watched what the cars ahead of me were doing—how they managed their energy deployment, where they used it, and what they did differently from us—and it was interesting. That’s why we collected so much data.”

Antonelli: “Ferrari has certainly taken a big step forward with the new engine they brought here. Now their speed is very similar to ours, and we know how strong they are in the corners. It’ll be a tight battle for pole tomorrow.”

George Russell was even more emphatic: “Ferrari looked very competitive and still seems to be the team to beat, and then we also know how strong McLaren has been lately, and I have no doubt they’ll be in the running for the top positions tomorrow. We can’t rule out Red Bull either.”