Kimi Antonelli knows this weekend of the 2025 F1 Imola GP is more than just another race. For the first time in four years, the Italian crowd has homegrown talent to cheer for in F1, and the 17-year-old isn’t shying away from the emotions that come with it.
The Mercedes rookie finds himself preparing for his “proper home race” just half an hour from where he lives. “It feels amazing. I think this one is my proper home race because, of course, we have Monza as well.
“I would say it is my proper home. I’m really excited,” he said during Thursday’s press conference.
Antonelli also listed all the things he’s looking forward to. “I really like the track as well. I think it’s a really challenging track, old-school. It’s really good fun to drive around here.
“I feel this weekend is going to be a special one, especially racing in front of all the Italian fans, my family, and friends. So it’s going to be intense as well.”
Asked whether the crowd might be waving more Antonelli flags than the Ferrari red, he grinned, “Hopefully more Kimi Antonelli! But yeah, Ferrari is so big that it would be a bit ambitious to see more of my flags. But I would not complain.”
Antonelli envisions ‘ultimate goal’ for F1 Imola GP
Has he let himself imagine a maiden F1 podium at home?
“I should ask him,” he said, referencing his father. “In the family, we’re very superstitious, so we don’t really talk about this stuff.
“Also, Miami. I’ll make an example. I was really excited and actually thinking about the podium, and then the races went terribly wrong, both in the Sprint and the long race.
“So we’re a very superstitious family, and we just take it step by step. Of course, sometimes it happens to think it would be amazing to get a podium, especially at the home race, and that’s for sure the goal. To step on the podium would be the ultimate goal.
“Of course, I want to win, but looking at it in a more realistic way, I think doing a podium here would be the dream, and that’s what I’m really going to push for.”
Antonelli reflects on F1 growth with Mercedes
His confidence has grown visibly since the early rounds, particularly after securing a Sprint pole in Miami. “Definitely a lot more (confidence) than I had in Melbourne. Just getting at ease with the car and understanding the tyres as well. I think where I made a really big step was trying to extract the best out of the tyre and trying to put them in a more decent window for the lap.
“Miami was a really good step because the Sprint qualifier was great. The actual qualifying was still good because we were still up there. That definitely gave me a boost of confidence. The race didn’t go as I wanted, but it didn’t hurt my confidence.”
As the European leg of the calendar begins, Antonelli is turning his focus to the finer details. ”Now that we’re into…tracks that I know much better, the approach will be different.
“I can focus a lot on driving, but I can also focus more on trying to give the best advice about the car to the engineers in order to improve and progress even more during the weekend.”
Reflecting on his growth this season, Antonelli is honest about where he stands.
“I think Miami was good because, for the first time this season, I felt like I could get up to speed with the track much quicker than I did in previous races. That’s something I’m looking to do more in the next few races, even at tracks I know.
“Being able to start off with the right pace and close to the limit can help the rest of the weekend. One of my strengths in Miami was the fact that I could adapt well to the track quickly. Weaknesses — I wouldn’t really call it a weak point — but something I’ve been struggling with is being able to put the whole weekend together.”
“Every little detail can make such a difference, especially on the tyres. A few degrees in qualifying can be the difference between a good lap and not. Even in the race, if you push too much at the beginning, you can get massively penalised at the end of the sprint.
“So, something I’m trying to work on is having a better understanding and being able to put the whole weekend together.”
Consistency is the challenge.“This year, so far, when I was doing a bad quali, the race was going well. But when I did a good quali, like in Miami, the race wasn’t as good. So that is the main point to work on at the moment.”
No win on the horizon at Imola GP
Antonelli also tempers his hopes of winning his first home race with humility, acknowledging the current gulf between Mercedes and front-runners like McLaren.
“I don’t feel like I’m in the position to just… because I’ve so much to learn still on my side. I feel like as a team we’re doing a great job,” he said. “The car has been consistent every weekend, and that allows us to build confidence.
“Of course, the gap to McLaren is still big. I mean, Miami was the real picture of the situation. McLaren were flying during the race, and it was impossible to catch for anyone else.
“So I think as a team, we’re really trying to work hard to improve on our limitations. Again, this weekend we will have a few updates on the car, and hopefully that will help us to make a step forward and to keep working.
“I’ve been at the factory as well in the past few days, and it’s really exciting to see how much the team is motivated and how hard they’re working. So we’re all aligned on where we need to improve, and that’s what we’re trying to do.”
Kimi Antonelli on being the home hero at Imola GP
With the spotlight on him this weekend, managing his energy will be just as important as managing his tyres.
“This weekend is going to be emotionally and mentally draining — a home race in front of the Italian fans, and as I said, my family and friends will be attending. So it’s going to be really important to manage the energy, especially in those moments where I can, and not waste energy on things that are not useful.
“It’s going to be important to stay on top of that because it’s easy to hit the bottom of the pack before the end of the weekend, ” he explained. “Already, a normal weekend is very tiring and draining, so this is like double.”
However, with a strong support system on the paddock, Antonelli is confident he’ll get through.
“I’m going to try to protect myself. The fact that I’ve got really good people around me helps. We’re all aligned that this weekend is going to be tough. We’re preparing, and I think we’re quite well prepared.
“At the end of the day, it’s another race weekend, but because of the circumstances, it’s going to be different. At the same time, it’s going to be exciting. I think the energy is going to be amazing and that can be used to do even better on track.”
Antonelli pleads his case for Imola GP spot on F1 calendar
F1 president Stefano Domenicali recently voiced his concerns regarding the Imola GP, admitting that maintaining two Italian races on the calendar has become difficult.
Antonelli voiced his take on the matter: “I would love for it to stay on the calendar. It’s such a unique track. As I said before, it’s technical, it’s not easy, especially over one lap, to put everything together. It’s old school, quite bumpy. All things that make it special.
“The history of this track is incredible. Definitely, I would love if there were a chance for the track to stay on the calendar next year and for the next few years.”
