Antonelli explains what he learned following Verstappen during Italian GP FP2 session
Photo: Red Bull Content Pool
08:00, 05 Sep
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Kieran is a freelance Formula 1 journalist for GPblog, covering breaking news, live race blogs and feature content across the F1 calendar. An NQJ-qualified journalist with more than a decade of experience, he has previously written for publications including MailOnline, the Manchester Evening News and the Eastern Daily Press.
Kimi Antonelli says he learned a lot from driving behind Max Verstappen during FP2 for this weekend's Italian Grand Prix.
The Italian arrives into the weekend with a 59-point lead over George Russell at the top of the drivers' championship. Antonelli faces a grid penalty this weekend and will need to fight through the pack to recover as many points as he can, from a weekend where he is expected to see his championship lead narrowed.
Speaking to Sky F1, Antonelli spoke about following Verstappen and was asked what it is going to be like to fight his way through the pack on Sunday. The Italian responded: "I mean, it's it's a track where you can really, you know, you can do so many different things.
"And, you know, it was interesting in the in the long run today, running behind other cars to see, you know, what they were doing differently, where they were deploying compared to us. So it was very interesting. And, yeah, that's why, you know, I think we have we have gathered a lot of data, and now we look forward to tomorrow.
Asked about the challenge of Ferrari for pole position on Saturday, Antonelli added: "Ferrari definitely, they took a step forward with the new engine, and now the speeds are the same. So we know how good their car is on into the corner. So for sure, you know, it's gonna be a tight tight fight for pole tomorrow."
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Russell leads way in Monza FP2
Mercedes showed strong pace in FP2 for this weekend's Italian Grand Prix, but it was George Russell who set the pace, with Antonelli only third.
After a Ferrari 1-2 in FP1, it was Mercedes who led the way in the afternoon, with Russell and Antonelli sandwiching Charles Leclerc - who topped the morning session.
This weekend's Grand Prix marks a great chance for Russell to close the gap somewhat on his teammate at the top of the standings. However, Russell is expected to face a stern challenge from the two Ferrari cars and Lando Norris - the winner of the last two races.
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Italian Grand Prix
Overview
Friday 04.09.26
Practice 1
10:30 AM
Practice 2
02:00 PM
Saturday 05.09.26
Practice 3
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Qualification
02:00 PM
Sunday 06.09.26
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01:00 PM
Friday 04.09.26
Practice 1
Fri 10:30 AM
Practice 2
Fri 02:00 PM
Saturday 05.09.26
Practice 3
Sat 10:30 AM
Qualification
Sat 02:00 PM
Sunday 06.09.26
Race
Sun 01:00 PM
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F1-stand 2026
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| Pos. | Driver | Team | Points |
|---|---|---|---|
1 | MercedesMER | 242 | |
2 | MercedesMER | 183 | |
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4 | McLarenMCL | 159 | |
5 | FerrariFER | 155 | |
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