Andrea Kimi Antonelli survived a tense Q2 at the Bahrain Grand Prix after his first lap was deleted for exceeding track limits at Turn 6, forcing the Mercedes driver to use another set of soft tyres to avoid elimination. The championship leader responded under pressure, producing a strong final sector to climb to second place and secure his place in Q3.
The incident briefly put Kimi Antonelli in a difficult position during qualifying at Sepang, with the deleted lap leaving him without a representative time and increasing the importance of his next attempt.
Kimi Antonelli put under pressure after Q2 lap deletion
Sky Sports F1 analyst Bernie Collins highlighted why Mercedes’ decision to send Antonelli out early proved useful once his first lap was removed.
“It’s exactly in situations like this that going out early can make the difference. Antonelli is under pressure now and has to complete a valid lap.”
Martin Brundle offered a similar assessment as Antonelli prepared for another attempt.
“He has to stay calm and try again. On the first attempt he simply went a little too wide.”
Antonelli responds with strong final sector to reach Q3
Antonelli did not allow the mistake to affect his next run. After completing the opening two sectors without pushing excessively, he increased the pace in the final part of the lap and produced an excellent final sector.
The lap lifted the Mercedes driver all the way to second place, removing any danger of elimination and confirming his place in Q3. It was an important response during a weekend in which Antonelli continues to defend his lead in the 2026 Formula 1 drivers’ standings.
The qualifying session forms part of the unusual 2026 Bahrain Grand Prix weekend at Sepang, where Antonelli recovered immediately from his Q2 setback and kept himself in contention for the front positions in the final qualifying segment.
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