Antonelli faces Monza test in quest for first Italian title since 1953

Kimi Antonelli arrives at his home grand prix at Monza carrying the weight of a nation's Formula One hopes, with the 20-year-old Mercedes driver bidding to become Italy's first world champion since 1953, the Guardian reported on Friday.

In an interview before the Italian Grand Prix, Antonelli described his debut season in the sport as a rocky introduction, saying the Formula One environment is "great but at times it can be very brutal", according to the Guardian's coverage.

The Mercedes driver is in his second year in the sport and is considered the favourite to take the world championship, a remarkable position for a driver still in his teenage years when the season began.