F1 | Kimi Antonelli could have taken pole, but a critical mistake ruined his Qatar qualifying. Kimi Antonelli showed impressive pace in Qatar F1 qualifying.

Kimi Antonelli finished fifth in qualifying for the Qatar Grand Prix, but the result hides a performance that could have taken him even further up the grid. The Italian rookie explained that his final Q3 attempt was severely compromised by a mistake at the start of the lap, an incident that affected the entire run and prevented him from fully exploiting the Mercedes’ potential on a single lap.

The key moment came in the opening meters of his final flying lap, when Antonelli had to manage an unexpected snap of the rear end. Though minor in appearance, the consequences were huge: on a track like Lusail, which severely stresses the rear tyres, a sudden oversteer leads to uncontrolled temperatures and a loss of balance that remains for the rest of the lap.

Kimi Antonelli explains the error that affected his qualifying

The 2006-born driver did not hide his frustration over a result he feels he did not fully convert:

“I’m disappointed with qualifying. In Q3, on the last attempt, I lost the rear and left about one and a half tenths on the table.”

Kimi Antonelli clarified that the issue was related to tyre temperature management, a challenge that is particularly pronounced in Qatar, where Lusail punishes even small mistakes during corner entry.

Mercedes showing improvement: “We improved during the session, now we aim for the best result”

Despite the disappointment from qualifying, Kimi Antonelli highlighted the positives that emerged during the Saturday session:

“Aside from that, we improved over the session. Now we will aim to achieve the best possible result.”

The race promises to be physically demanding, but Kimi Antonelli is determined to turn the Saturday frustration into an opportunity on Sunday. Fifth place provides a solid starting point, and it’s now up to him to show that an even better result was within reach.

Starting fifth between George Russell and Isack Hadjar gives the young Italian a golden opportunity on a circuit where track position is everything. If he nails the start and the first stint tyre warm-up, a debut podium – or better – is very much on the cards. One thing is certain: Antonelli knows the pace is in the car. Sunday is his chance to prove the mistake was just a blip.