Kimi Antonelli will start in third position at the Dutch Grand Prix of Formula 1, but left the qualifying session with the feeling that he could have secured pole position. The Mercedes driver lost about two tenths in the first corner during his last attempt in Q3.
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The Italian explained that he spent most of the session ‘on the defensive’ and managed to recover the pace throughout the decisive lap. Even so, the mistake at Zandvoort ended up being decisive, as Antonelli finished just under one and a half tenths behind the pole.
“It was a difficult session for me overall. I was on the defensive, and on the last lap, I made a mistake in turn 1, lost a few tenths, it was my mistake,” Antonelli said. The driver acknowledged that the result could have been different: “It’s a shame, because I had a real chance to get pole.”
Despite the frustration, Antonelli emphasized that the battle is far from decided for the race. The nineteen-year-old driver recalled noticing he was two tenths behind in the first sector during his final lap, but managed to recover the difference in the following parts of the circuit.
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“In Q3, I thought we had a chance. When I started the last lap, I saw I was two tenths behind in the first sector and thought: ‘It’s going to be tough.’ But I managed to recover throughout the rest of the lap, so it’s a shame about what happened. But everything is open for tomorrow,” he added.
Antonelli arrives at the race leading the drivers’ championship, with a 53-point advantage over Lewis Hamilton and 56 over his teammate, George Russell. The third position on the starting grid, behind Lando Norris and George Russell, keeps the Italian in a good position for the 72-lap race in Zandvoort.
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