Kimi Antonelli secured a remarkable pole position for the Monaco Formula 1 GP, and did not hide his emotion after the qualifying session. The Mercedes driver secured first place on the starting grid in an extremely tight battle with Max Verstappen, decided only in the final moments of Q3.
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For a few moments, it seemed that Verstappen would come out ahead on the streets of Monte Carlo. However, the championship leader managed to improve his time on the last attempt and secured pole position for Sunday’s race, crowning a session considered decisive in one of the most important weekends of the season.
Immediately after leaving the car, Antonelli described the lap that secured him pole as something special: “It was one of those laps we call a magic lap,” said the young Italian, still celebrating the result achieved in one of the most demanding challenges on the calendar.
The Italian driver highlighted the balance of the battle with Verstappen throughout the decisive session: “I managed to put everything together. It was a very tight battle with Max. On the first attempt in Q3 there was only a thousandth of a second between us. But I knew the last lap had been good and I just hoped it would be enough. It was very tight and I’m very happy about it,” he said.
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Antonelli also made a point of thanking Mercedes for the work done between Friday and Saturday. According to him, the team managed to transform a complicated scenario into a performance capable of putting him on pole position in Monaco.
“A huge thank you to the team, because yesterday we had some difficulties and today we managed to improve a lot,” added the Italian during an interview after the qualifying session. The intensity of the effort was evident even after the activity ended. Upon arriving at the press room, the Mercedes driver still showed the effects of the tension and adrenaline generated by the lap that secured him first position on the grid.
In addition to the impact of this pole for the GP on the streets of Monte Carlo, the result may also have significant weight in the championship battle. While Antonelli secured pole, his teammate, George Russell, finished the qualifying session only in sixth position. The Italian already arrived at the weekend leading the drivers’ standings with a 43-point advantage, and will now have an important opportunity to extend that lead.
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