Kimi Antonelli continues to rewrite the Formula 1 record books. After winning the Sprint race earlier on Saturday, the Mercedes driver completed a dream day by becoming the first Italian to claim pole position at Silverstone since Alberto Ascari in 1953. While the championship leader appears to be the favourite heading into Sunday’s British Grand Prix, he remains wary of the threat posed by the two Ferraris starting directly behind him with Charles Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton.
By now, Kimi Antonelli’s name has become almost synonymous with breaking records. Saturday at the British Grand Prix provided yet another demonstration of the extraordinary talent of the Mercedes youngster. First, he secured the first Sprint victory of his Formula 1 career after defeating hometown favourite Lewis Hamilton. Later, he capped off a perfect day by taking his maiden Formula 1 pole position at Silverstone. On both occasions, he also became the youngest driver ever to achieve those milestones.
What makes the 19-year-old from Bologna so impressive, however, is not simply the records themselves, but the confidence and authority with which he achieves them despite his young age. In Q3, for example, he had already topped the timesheets after the first run, but without improving to a stunning 1:28.211 on his final attempt—thanks in large part to an exceptional final sector—he would have lost pole position to Charles Leclerc’s Ferrari. It was only natural, therefore, that he felt especially proud of the lap that secured him the top spot.
“It was a really good lap. It was one where I managed to put every element together. I struggled a little in the first sector throughout the session and wasn’t very consistent there, but I felt really comfortable in sectors two and three. It was a great lap,” Antonelli said during the post-qualifying interviews after becoming the first Italian pole-sitter at Silverstone since Alberto Ascari in 1953.
One thing he was less pleased about was being sent out first by Mercedes for the final run, although he managed to stay composed.
“I don’t like being the first car out on the final run, so I was a bit nervous during the out lap. But then I simply tried to focus on what I had to do and, fortunately, it worked.”
Overall, qualifying was far from straightforward. Strong winds proved particularly challenging for the Mercedes W17, making the achievement even more satisfying.
“The beginning of the session was a bit difficult. On the first lap with the used tyres, I was mainly trying to find my rhythm, especially after the Sprint. Then, on my first run in Q2, I made a mistake at Turn 3, partly because of the wind and partly because the brakes were still a little cold. It wasn’t ideal, but I have to say that everything came together perfectly in Q3.”
After being beaten by Antonelli in Saturday morning’s Sprint, Lewis Hamilton admitted he expected the Mercedes driver to pull away in Sunday’s race. Antonelli, however, is far from convinced that it will be such a straightforward afternoon, especially with both Ferraris lining up immediately behind him on the grid.
“Yes, because first of all there are two of them. Then, at the beginning of the Sprint today, Lewis was incredibly fast. It definitely won’t be easy. I’ll need to make a good start and immediately settle into a strong rhythm. The goal will be to get out of the DRS zone as quickly as possible, but that won’t be easy, especially if the wind is as strong as it was today.”
At the same time, Antonelli admitted that Mercedes appeared to have the stronger package than Ferrari during the Sprint race.
“Well, in the Sprint we definitely had the quicker car. Above all, we seemed to be a little more comfortable with the tyres. So, yes, hopefully we can keep that advantage tomorrow,” he concluded.
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