One of the recurring issues in the early rounds of Andrea Kimi Antonelli’s season has been the struggle to make a difference in qualifying—something that may seem odd, considering he is the only driver besides Max Verstappen and the two McLaren cars to have taken a pole position.
However, looking at the bigger picture, it’s no secret that the Italian has often struggled in the tyre warm-up phase, which is crucial for extracting the full potential of the tyres on a flying lap. This is a key aspect, especially as it’s now clear how important starting position is for the race outcome: starting from the back forces a driver to push the tyres harder and attempt difficult comebacks.
Although a rule was introduced this year requiring two mandatory pit stops per race to spice up the action and prevent overly static strategies, in Monaco qualifying remains a fundamental element—not just for setting the grid but also for determining the final result, given how hard overtaking is.
Precisely for this reason, as already seen in FP1 in Miami, Kimi Antonelli was able to devote more attention to experimenting and, in particular, to finding the best way to prepare for qualifying. This is only his second time tackling the tight streets of the Principality, since he skipped Formula 3 and only debuted in Monaco in 2024 during the Formula 2 weekend.
“It’s pretty fun to drive a Formula 1 car around here. It’s tricky to find the right balance and get the most out of the tyres. Today we tried a lot of different things, especially with the softs, particularly regarding warm-up, because it’s really hard to get grip right from the first lap,” explained Kimi Antonelli.
Even though the compounds are the same as those used at Imola, with the C6 as the softest option, the data gathered in Italy isn’t useful for Monaco. Imola features several high-speed corners that generate energy and tyre temperature, whereas Monte Carlo is made up mostly of slow sections, requiring a completely different warm-up approach.
“In general, I think I learned a lot during the day and I’m looking forward to tomorrow,” added Kimi Antonelli, suggesting it will be a very open challenge—especially as rain could mix things up.
“We know Ferrari is always very strong here, and McLaren has been competitive all season, but you can never know for sure what fuel loads others are running or what engine modes they’re using. We’re just trying to focus on ourselves. I’m trying to focus on myself, improve session by session, to be ready for tomorrow.”
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