Gabriele Minì heads into his home Formula 2 (F2) round at Monza with his focus firmly on reducing the gap at the top of the Drivers’ Championship.
The MP Motorsport driver enters the weekend 20 points away from the championship lead as the 2026 campaign reaches a crucial stage. With every point becoming increasingly important, Minì knows that strong and consistent results will prove vital over the remaining rounds.
However, the Italian does not intend to change his approach because of the championship situation. Rather than focusing on the drivers around him, Minì wants to maximise his own performances and take advantage of every opportunity available at Monza.
Minì not interested in playing games with championship rivals
Despite the increasing pressure of the title fight, Minì believes his position as the driver chasing the championship lead allows him to concentrate on delivering the strongest possible results. Instead of adapting his race based on the position of his rivals, he plans to approach the weekend with the same objective he carries into every round: fighting for victory.
“To be honest, you always try to do the best you can, because we’re not the ones that are being chased, so there is no need to look at what the others do. We still have to try to do the best result possible and try to close down the gap. Of course, you think about the championship, but you don’t want to do anything stupid if your championship rivals are behind you. But you still want to maximise what you can. You don’t have to play games with the others, that’s not the way we have to approach it. We have to try and win, do the best we can as always.”
Consistency remains key in Minì’s pursuit of championship lead
Victories would give Minì the fastest route towards reducing the 20-point deficit, but the Italian also recognises that consistently collecting significant points could prove just as important. With the championship entering its decisive stages, one poor weekend could have major consequences. Minì therefore wants to balance his ambition to win with the need to continue adding substantial points to his tally.
“Obviously, you go out there in order to win, but the main goal is to catch up. The gap is 20 points at the moment, and I’d say that if you could consistently win, it would be better, right? Hopefully, we can do that too, but consistency is important, you still have to score big points.”
Minì highlights importance of qualifying at unpredictable Monza
Before Minì can focus on scoring heavily in the races, he will need to navigate one of the most unpredictable qualifying sessions of the season. Monza’s slipstream effect can make track position and timing particularly important as drivers search for the best possible tow. A strong starting position could also help Minì avoid trouble during the opening stages of both races.
The long run towards the opening chicane regularly creates incidents as the field approaches Turn 1 at high speed before braking heavily. Minì believes even a minor misjudgement from another driver could affect several cars around them, making qualifying position particularly valuable.
“Qualifying is always unique around Monza, because it’s such a question mark. So many things can go your way, and at the same time, so many things can go wrong. So, you need to take a lot of things into consideration, but qualifying plays a big role. Turn One – we go from a very high speed to a very, very slow speed. Even missing the braking by one metre by a car behind can make a difference for the cars in front.”
Minì confident after resetting during F2 break
While Monza’s unpredictability makes it difficult to prepare for every possible scenario, Minì believes instinct will play an important role throughout the F2 weekend. The break between rounds also gave the Italian time to switch off before returning his focus to the title fight, while he and MP Motorsport continued their preparations through engineering work and simulator running.
“It’s a bit more instinctive. Can’t really plan anything beforehand. But I’m quite confident. I had a break, some time to switch off and then come back ready. I’m sure the engineers and everyone have put in quite a lot of work, even myself and the team and the simulator. So, I’m ready, feeling ready and I’m feeling confident.”
Home support adds to significance of Monza weekend for Minì
Alongside its importance to his championship campaign, the weekend carries additional significance for Minì as he prepares to race in front of his home supporters. Monza’s high-speed layout and powerful slipstream regularly produce close battles and overtaking opportunities, something Minì expects will contribute to another unpredictable F2 weekend.
His familiarity with the circuit could offer an advantage as he looks to strengthen his championship challenge, but racing in Italy also brings an atmosphere that the Italian believes makes the event particularly special.
“Everything is special, I’d say. It’s a really good track. It’s going to be a chaotic weekend for sure. We have seen in the past, many nice races, a lot of overtakes, a lot of slipstream, and positioning is going to be key. So, it’s going to be a chaotic one, but it’s one of the tracks I know best, and it being my home race, hearing the fans and seeing them there makes all the difference.”
