Antonelli shares mindset for Monaco weekend as he vows to keep racing ‘hard but smart’

Kimi Antonelli insists he is “not thinking about the championship” ahead of the Monaco Grand Prix, despite arriving in the Principality with a sizeable points advantage over Mercedes team mate George Russell.

Antonelli has won the last four Grands Prix – in China, Japan, Miami and Canada – to build a 43-point gap back to Russell, whose title hopes were dented by a retirement while the Silver Arrows squabbled for the lead at Montreal.

As the paddock reconvened in Monte Carlo, Antonelli understandably fielded plenty of questions over the title race situation, his confidence levels and the approach he is taking on and off the track.

“It’s a great moment I’m living, but now we’re fully focused on Monaco,” said Antonelli. “It’s going to be a big challenge and I’m just going to try to keep delivering the best result and drive as fast as I can.

“I’m not thinking about the championship or anything like that. I just think about enjoying the driving as much as I can, try to do my best, try to improve, raise the bar, and we’ll see where we end up.

“I really want to enjoy every weekend as much as possible. I want to leave the weekend and say, ‘I did everything I could’, so that’s what I’m going to do.”

Asked how he is keeping a level head, the 19-year-old Italian continued: “When you have such a boom of success or everything that has happened to me, it’s really important to remind yourself to stay grounded, and don’t get carried away, because it’s really easy to start flying high and lose sight and focus of the ultimate goal.

“I have to be honest, I’m very lucky to have such a family and such a team who support and guide me and keep me grounded.

“By now I know very well that the season is still very long and it’s going to be difficult. George is very strong, but as well the other teams are going to catch up and close the gap.

“I know that I will have to excel and raise the bar. Nothing is going to come easy, so I definitely have to work for it.”

Antonelli also shared some more thoughts on how he plans to race his rivals moving forward, after engaging in fierce wheel-to-wheel battles with Russell in the Sprint and Grand Prix at the Circuit Gilles Villeneuve.

“I’m not the kind of guy who backs down,” he said. “Whenever I get an opportunity, I will go for it. I think in Canada, it was a really good battle with George, but it also showed that no matter the position I am in the championship, I’m going to go for it.

“There will be times when I will probably need to think a bit more about how I go racing, and probably on some occasions I will have to be satisfied with the position I have, but at the moment I’m just going for it.

“Of course, I’m learning how to manage this aggression as well, because I cannot just go all out and go for it 100% and see what happens. I want to still race hard, but smart.”