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Kimi Antonelli Drops Shocking Ferrari Verdict After Upgrade Surge
Highlights
- Ferrari debuted new engine upgrade at Italian Grand Prix.
- Ferrari’s straight-line speed now matches Mercedes’ pace.
- Antonelli starts race at back due to grid penalty.
- Team focused on long-run performance during Friday practice.
- Upgrade aims to improve race results despite qualifying setback.
- Italian GP will test Ferrari and Mercedes’ ongoing rivalry.
Kimi Antonelli says Ferrari’s Monza engine upgrade has lifted straight-line speed to Mercedes’ level, reshaping the Italian Grand Prix competitive picture.
The new power unit debuts at Ferrari’s home race, with Antonelli taking a grid penalty for exceeding allocation to access it.
Ferrari has two wins this season but trailed Mercedes on high-speed straights. The upgrade, timed for the Italian Grand Prix, directly targets that deficit at Monza.
Antonelli reports comparable trap figures and improved deployment, complementing Ferrari’s already robust cornering performance through the Ascari and Parabolica sequences.
That balance should compress qualifying gaps, but starting last pivots Ferrari toward race execution, tyre management, and opportunistic strategy.
“Ferrari definitely took a step forward… now the speeds are the same,” Antonelli says after Friday running.
Friday’s programme prioritised long runs to validate reliability, cooling margins, and fuel consumption with the revised internal combustion engine and hybrid elements.
Serving the penalty at Monza is pragmatic. Overtaking zones, slipstreaming, and historically effective DRS offer recovery potential unmatched at tighter venues.
Mercedes still sets an efficiency benchmark, yet Ferrari’s straight-line parity reduces DRS exposure and broadens strategic choices on stint length and track position.
Energy recovery behaviours and deployment maps from FP2 will drive Ferrari’s compromise between peak qualifying output and thermal headroom for sustained race pace.
Antonelli called it a good day, consistent with his Monza outlook, while warning traffic could jeopardise tyre preparation and braking temperatures during qualifying out-laps.
Long-run emphasis signals Ferrari prioritised race pace validation over headline single-lap times.
The move has championship consequences. If Ferrari converts parity into race-day efficiency, Mercedes’ strategic latitude at forthcoming power-sensitive rounds may narrow.
Correlation remains vital. Ferrari must ensure Monza GPS traces align with simulation, so gains persist beyond this unique low-drag configuration and into more balanced downforce layouts.
Taking the penalty at Monza maximises recovery prospects thanks to slipstream effect and multiple braking zones.
From the back, execution windows widen. Safety cars, undercuts, and clean air management will likely decide whether the upgrade translates into points.
Ferrari’s Monza push mirrors recent optimism, with Antonelli central to the effort and the broader Monza upgrade package under scrutiny.
Visual Summary
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Ferrari and Mercedes: ⚡ SPEED TIED!
Ferrari’s new engine at Monza levels the straight-line playing field.
Antonelli
Pole
⬆️
Starting at Monza’s back
“A good day for data” — and the Tifosi are roaring.
🏁 Can Ferrari turn this upgrade into victory at home?
🏁 Can Ferrari turn this upgrade into victory at home?
Daniel Miller reports on Formula 1 Grand Prix weekends with race-day analysis, team-radio highlights, and point-standings updates. He explains power-unit upgrades, aerodynamic developments, and driver rivalries in straightforward, SEO-friendly language for a global F1 audience.
