F1 Pre Race Drivers Press Conference | Italian Grand Prix 2026 | PART 2

Welcome back to part two of our press conference here at Monza, and we're joined left to right by Lance Stroll, Kimi Antonelli and Liam Lawson. Very warm welcome to you all. Kimi, I feel we should start with you. You come to your home race here at Monza, leading the World Championship. What a moment for you. Just how special does it feel? Yeah, it feels very special. Definitely a lot different compared to last year. And I'm very much looking forward to this weekend, despite starting from the back. But, yeah, it's also a big opportunity ahead. And, yeah, very much looking forward to it. I think it's going to be very enjoyable. I will be able to enjoy it much more than what I did previously. And, yeah, hopefully we can still do a great race. We'll come on to performance in a minute. I did want to ask, are you doing anything special helmet-wise for the fans? Yes, I do have a special helmet that we'll present tonight. And it's a very special helmet in collaboration with a special person, a good friend of mine. And, yeah, I think it's very, very cool. Well, we look forward to seeing that. Look, in terms of performance, you say you're starting at the back because of the grid penalty. How does that change your mindset coming into the weekend? I think in some ways it helps to release pressure, although I very much rather fight for pole and start there at the front. But in some ways I feel like it relaxes, it makes me a bit more relaxed going into the weekend. And I think also that's why I'm going to be able to enjoy more the driving and the weekend itself. And, of course, as well, it's a different opportunity. It's an opportunity to try something different during the weekend, different work method as well, in free practice especially, because we have the chance to do so. So, yeah, I think it's going to be a very interesting weekend. And how do you think this circuit will suit the car? How high do you think you can climb from the back? Yeah, definitely, I think it's a circuit that could suit us very well. But we've seen how strong McLaren is and how strong they have been in the past two races. Ferrari is going to be certainly on top, especially with the new engine. So, definitely, I think our car, despite not having any upgrades since Canada, I think it's still a very strong car. I think this track can be good for us, but we still need to take into account that Ferrari, McLaren, even Red Bull might be quick this weekend. We need to still take into account that especially those two teams will be there at the front. Well, best of luck to you. Thank you very much, Kimi. We mentioned Red Bull. Liam, why don't we come to you next? And with Isaac, of course, we wish Isaac well with his recovery, but his absence this weekend gives you another opportunity with the big team. What's your mindset coming into the weekend? Just try and make the most of it again, I think. Yeah, obviously, it's an interesting position for me to be in. And Zandvoort was, yeah, I mean, being a sprint weekend, obviously quite stressful at times, but overall, it was a good weekend. And at least now I've had that, you know, it should be a bit easier to adjust. We also have three practice sessions here. It's a much more normal weekend. So, yeah, it's another good opportunity. When did you find out that you'd be racing this weekend? Wednesday. So, for the last, yeah, for the last week, it's been sort of just waiting to see, obviously trying to give Isaac the best chance as well for his recovery. But, yeah, I think in the back of my mind, I knew that, obviously, there was still, you know, a chance. So, yeah, but obviously, only being on Wednesday, it felt quite late, but we had enough time to still do a simulator session and sort of normal prep for the weekend. What normal prep, you say, but which set of engineers have you been talking to since Zandvoort? Both, honestly, been doing both, just to try and stay ready for both, obviously, both teams, both cars to know. So, yeah, they're very different to drive, so it's not the easiest thing going between the two, even just in the simulator. But, yeah, that's been, honestly, that's been the biggest challenge. But it's nice to finally, obviously, have an answer from Wednesday to know that I can basically just put all my focus onto this car. You say they're different to drive. Can you tell us a little bit more about that? Where are they different? Everywhere. Other than the power unit, obviously, they're very different to drive in terms of the... I mean, the main thing, obviously, with the Red Bull, the sort of high-speed grip is probably the most impressive, just coming from my car, but the way they drive, the balance of the car is very, very different. So, yeah, without saying too much, it is a very different car to drive. Honestly, the feedback I get through the steering, everything, the way it feels, the way it moves around, it's very different. All right, well, best of luck to you. Thank you for that, Liam. And, Lance, let's come to you. Aston has found close to three seconds at the last couple of races. How different does the car feel to drive now compared to before Hungary? Yeah, much better. We've improved a lot since Hungary, for sure. So, it's been good. Tell us a little more, though. Where is the car better? Just everywhere. More downforce. So, yeah, more downforce. You're going around quicker. Okay, more downforce. Of course, Honda brought a new power unit to the last race. There's been quite a lot of chat about drivability since then. In what areas do you still need them to progress a little bit? We're still down on power. So, yeah, we need more power. And we're just working on the drivability stuff. It's complex. So, we'll just keep chipping away at that. Off-throttle as much as on-throttle, right? Yeah, just everywhere. I mean, downshifting into the corners, engine braking, all that stuff. We've improved in Zandvoort throughout the weekend. But we have a lot of work to do. And looking ahead, Lance, where are the team's ambitions now for the rest of this season? Well, we have to try and capitalize on the circuits that suit our car. I mean, we're down on power. So, places like Monza will be more difficult for us, long straights. So, you know, we have to try and take advantage of the circuits where it's more about the chassis and less about the engine. And we have to keep working on all those things. Drivability, you know, development on the chassis side. We're starting to slow down now and focus more on 27. So, I would say the main thing is drivability and power. We just need to keep working on that. Okay, thank you very much for that. Let's open this to the floor now. Broadcasters first. Who's first? Italy, a question for Kimi. Kimi, does starting from the back of the grid take some pressure off you? And anyway, can you still think that you can win this race? I would be very happy if I would win. Yeah, definitely takes pressure away. And as I said earlier, you know, I feel like definitely going in the car with even, you know, very minimal thoughts in the mind, just very free. And just going to enjoy the driving and the weekend. So, of course, the goal is always the same. And we're going to try to maximize the result. But yeah, I think, you know, in an ideal world, I think realistically, you know, top five, you can do well. But it's all driven by also your pace, how fast you are, what's the gap between cars. You know, we might be really quick, but, you know, Ferrari, McLaren or Red Bull, they might be very close that it is probably not enough to catch them during the race. But we'll see. We'll see. But definitely, I feel like, you know, I feel very free mentally going into this weekend. I'm actually very excited, very much looking forward to it, but with no real pressure. Thanks, Kimi. Next one. Craig Slater, Sky Sports. Another one for Kimi. There's a lot of talk about maybe Italian F1 fans being divided at the moment. Do they want Ferrari to win or do they want Kimi Antonelli to win? Of course, you could, by joining Ferrari, make them less divided. Is it something you're going to have to live with? The more success you have, that's a greater expectation or speculation that you'll drive for Ferrari one day. Yeah, of course. I mean, it's, you know, being an Italian myself, I know how emotional we are and how excited we can get about things, you know, sometimes overly excited. So, yeah, of course, there will always be this kind of talk. But at the end of the day, as much as Ferrari, you know, as much as, you know, Ferrari's massive, incredible brand, I'm very happy where I am. You know, I'm very happy with Mercedes because they're the one who've, you know, they've given me the opportunity since I was a kid and I feel like I have so much to give back to them. So, yeah, got to live with that. Thanks, Kimi. Next. Hi, Kimi. Ciao. Sorry, guys, but I have a very specific question for you. Mariana Becker from TV Global Brazil. Kimi, you said two or three times already that you're coming here with a free mind, you know, not a lot of pressure. What did it change, the main change for you from last year, in your mind, from last year to this year? That I don't have to prove as much as I had to do last year. You know, last year, obviously, I was coming from a difficult period as well. And I felt like I had to prove myself, to prove that I could belong in F1. And so I feel like also that increased a lot the pressure on myself. And that made me drive, you know, very, how can I say, very tense. And yeah, I wasn't really enjoying as well the time in the car. Most of the time last year was this year, obviously, for many reasons. Obviously, I'm lucky to have a great car. But as well, also the year of experience makes a huge difference. And, you know, so I feel like much more mature, much more in control of the situation. And obviously, then also when you get the good results in, it's always one less thing to prove. And I've proven that I can win. I've proven that I can perform. And that's why coming into this weekend, yes, it's my home race. It's great. But at the end of the day, it's another race like the others. So but for sure, you know, definitely also the year of experience makes a huge difference in the way I approach things as well. Hello everyone, welcome back to the channel. We have the part two of the press conference. We have Stroll, Antonelli and Liam Lawson. We go first with Antonelli. He arrives with Monza leading the Formula One World Championship. And now he prepares to race in front of his home crowd. Monza is one of the most important races on the calendar for any Italian driver. And Antonelli admitted that seeing so many Italian flags and receiving so much support makes this weekend feel different. Antonelli is expected to take a significant grid penalty after Mercedes decided that Monza is the best circuit to introduce a complete new power unit. That means even if Kimi produces a brilliant qualifying performance, he could find himself starting toward the back of the grid. Naturally, he asked whether that was frustrating, considering this is his home Grand Prix. Antonelli approached very, very pragmatic. The championship is bigger than one race. And he said that Mercedes believes that the engine change is necessary to protect reliability through the remainder of the season. And the Monza provides more overtaking opportunities than many circuits. So, Kimi said that rather than focusing on where he starts, where I start, he said that I'm concentrating on making the car as competitive as possible. And there is another fascinating element to the situation, that when Antonelli arrives here with a significant championship advantage, we have Lewis and George that remain among the drivers trying to go that gap. Moving along to Lawson, he comes into Monza after an unusual few weeks inside the Red Bull family. Following Isaac Hajar's wrist injury, Lawson stepped back into the Red Bull seat at Zandvoort and immediately faced the difficult task of adapting during a spring weekend with limited practice. Despite that, he produced a solid performance and demonstrated that he could quickly get comfortable in the car. Naturally, the questions here at Monza focused on what happens next. Lawson refused to get dragged too deeply into speculation. His priority remains performing well whenever Red Bull needs him, whether it's now or whenever. Whether that means continuing with the senior team or return to Racing Bulls, the objective is the same, maximize every opportunity. So, he also acknowledged that Monza will present a completely different challenge. Zandvoort was narrow, technical extremely, demanding through the corners, and Monza is more about efficiency, braking stability, traction and confidence at extreme high speed. Lawson's message was simple. He said the performance on track will answer more questions than anything he can say in a press conference. And finally, we have Aston Martin's, the legend, Lance Stroll. He said that Aston Martin will arrive at Monza hoping for a much cleaner weekend after a difficult Dutch Grand Prix. Stroll's race at Zandvoort ended early and the team has continued working to understand how to extract more consistency or performance from the car. Stroll said that confidence in the car will be particularly important into the first chicane, Roggia and Ascari. And the conversation also touched on Aston Martin's long-term ambitions. Expectations around the project remained extremely high, but Stroll remained focused on the immediate job rather than making predictions about where the team would be in the future. So yeah, the interesting things are that how far can Antonelli recover, can Ferrari capitalize, can Hamilton reduce the championship gap, and can Mercedes turn that what looks like a disadvantage into an opportunity. Monza has always been about speed, but for Kimi Antonelli this weekend it could also be about patience, overtaking, and championship damage limitations. The temple of speed is ready, but the Italian Grand Prix weekend is officially alive. Thank you everyone for watching this video, if you liked it, please don't forget to like and subscribe our channel. If you have something to add up, comment down below and we'll see you in the next one.