Kimi Antonelli issued a hilarious response ahead of this weekend’s Italian Grand Prix, with his comments harking back to his dramatic Formula 1 debut at Monza two years ago.
The 20-year-old made his debut in first practice at Monza for Mercedes in 2024 and immediately looked quick. However, he exceeded the limits too quickly and crashed early on at Parabolica.
It was a saddening end to his debut and was something that he has since conceded played on his mind at last year’s Italian GP.
This time around, though, Antonelli is in a very different mindset and at a very different confidence level, in what has been an extraordinary 2026.
He enters the weekend in Italy with a 59-point lead in the drivers’ standings and six victories to his name. A seventh win at Monza is unlikely, as he will start from the back due to a grid penalty triggered by a full engine change.
It has been a rollercoaster two years for the young Italian, who would not have believed, had he been told after his crash, that he would find himself leading the standings today.
Asked what he would have said if someone told him at Monza two years ago after crashing that he would be leading the title entering the 2026 Italian GP, Antonelli told select media, including RacingNews365: "I would say to shut up. Yeah. Just don't joke with me.
"I mean, of course, it was a very difficult day for me, very difficult moment because definitely that was not the way I wanted to introduce myself into the sport. And, definitely, crashing out so early on... Yes, I was pushing. It was going well, but it lasted very short.
"But it was not the way I wanted to start everything. So it was a very difficult moment and a very difficult period as well, the one following, because it's not easy to get over these kind of things, especially at the very beginning.
"So, of course, if someone, while I was walking off in the gravel, would have said, 'What, in two years they're going to be leading the world championship in this exact moment,' I would have said, 'Probably you're just kidding.'
"But, you know, it's happening. And, I'm very, very, very happy, very grateful. And, yeah, just got to keep pushing.:
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