Kimi Antonelli was just eleven thousandths away from pole in Q3 of the Spanish Grand Prix of Formula 1, after Lando Norris surpassed the Mercedes driver in the final moments. The Italian described the session as ‘very intense’ at the Madrid circuit.
Read more F1: Norris talks about «one of the best laps of his career» for pole in Spain
Antonelli believed he had done enough to start in first position, but Norris, one of the last drivers to cross the line, managed to take the top of the table. Still, the result left the Mercedes driver in a favorable position for the race, while Lewis Hamilton and George Russell finished fourth and sixth, respectively.
After leaving the W17, Antonelli acknowledged that Norris ended up taking the better by a minimal difference: “I thought it was a good lap, but then this guy just took it away from me,” said the Italian, pointing to the McLaren driver. “So, congratulations to them.”
The Italian also explained the difficulties faced during Q3, especially due to the track conditions: “On my side, it was a very intense qualifying session. It was difficult to find the right balance with the track so hot, but the lap was quite clean,” he added.
Read more F1: Russell, Antonelli and Leclerc are called by the stewards after qualifying in Madrid
Antonelli now turns his attention to the 57-lap race, on a 22-corner circuit where overtaking opportunities are considered limited. The starting grid position, therefore, will be important for the development of the race.
“Obviously, it’s not easy to put everything together on a track like this, which is quite complicated,” concluded Antonelli, who despite losing pole by a minimal margin, considered that Mercedes did a good job and stated that the team will now try to make the most of what they have available in the race.
Read more F1: Norris dominates Piastri in qualifying; Alonso leads 16 to 3 against Stroll
