Mercedes had a memorable Saturday in Formula 1 in Monaco with Kimi Antonelli securing pole position for Sunday’s race. The young driver highlighted the team’s recovery after a complicated start to the weekend and celebrated the result in an extremely balanced session.
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The Italian stated that the car had evolved significantly since Friday, and that the work done overnight was fundamental to put him in a position to fight for first place. According to him, the battle was tight against several competitors who also had the potential to be at the top of the time sheets.
Antonelli stated that the qualifying session did not start ideally: “The car felt a bit on the limit at the beginning, but as the session progressed everything started to click. We made the right adjustments and I felt much more comfortable when we got to Q3”.
In the decisive phase of the session, Antonelli highlighted the pressure of finding the last tenths of a second on a track where any mistake can be costly: “It was extremely tense. Finding those last tenths is never easy, especially with Max so close throughout the session. It all came down to getting the lap right at the right time,” he said.
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Despite securing pole, the young driver remained cautious for the race. He recalled that he will have strong opponents around him on the starting grid and emphasized that the focus now is to make a good start and manage the race. Antonelli also highlighted that the performance shown throughout the weekend increases his confidence, although he acknowledges that Monaco is often unpredictable.
On the other side of the garage, George Russell had a more complicated session and finished only in sixth position. The Briton admitted that he couldn’t find enough confidence in the car and pointed to recent difficulties in extracting maximum performance from the tires: “It’s been a frustrating period for me. I need to understand why I’m struggling to make the tires work as needed,” he added.
Team principal Toto Wolff praised Antonelli’s performance and highlighted the importance of the result. According to him, it had been seven years since Mercedes last secured a pole in Monaco. Regarding Russell, Wolff showed full support for the driver, stating that the lack of confidence in the car hampered his performance, but reinforced that the team believes in a quick recovery for the Briton: “We know the capability he has. It’s only a matter of time until he comes back stronger,” he concluded.
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