Third in qualifying for the Dutch Grand Prix, Kimi Antonelli believes that a mistake in the first corner probably cost him a real chance to secure pole position.
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Kimi Antonelli could hardly hide a hint of frustration after qualifying at Zandvoort. The Mercedes driver will nevertheless start from an excellent third position, just behind Lando Norris and his teammate George Russell.
However, the championship leader believes he had the pace necessary to aim even higher. Antonelli ultimately missed out by less than a tenth and a half of the pole secured by Norris, but a mistake in the first corner of his final attempt cost him about two tenths.
“Overall, it was a difficult session for me, admits Antonelli. I always felt like I was on the defensive, then on the last lap, I made a mistake in the first corner and lost a few tenths. It was my mistake.”
A mistake all the more frustrating as Antonelli believes that first place was truly within his reach.
“It’s a shame, because I had a real chance to get pole.”
Antonelli had the pace to fight for pole
Despite a difficult start to the session, Antonelli gradually gained momentum. Once in Q3, the Italian found himself able to compete with Norris and Russell for the top spot.
However, his mistake in the first corner severely compromised his last attempt. Upon seeing his deficit in the first sector, Antonelli even thought his pole hopes were definitively gone.
“In Q3, I thought we had a chance, explains the Mercedes driver. But when I started my last lap and saw I was two tenths behind in the first sector, I said to myself: ‘This is going to be difficult’.”
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The rest of his lap, however, confirmed the competitiveness of the Mercedes. Antonelli managed to recover almost all the lost time in the last two sectors to finally finish just 0.133 seconds behind Norris.
“I then managed to recover that deficit during the rest of the lap, so it’s a shame.”
A 100% British front row ahead of Antonelli
Despite this missed opportunity, third position constitutes an excellent base for the Grand Prix. Norris and Russell will occupy the front row, while Antonelli will be able to immediately put the two Brits under pressure at the start.
The situation is also favorable in terms of the championship. With a 53-point lead over Lewis Hamilton and 56 over Russell, Antonelli still holds a comfortable margin at the top of the standings.
The 19-year-old driver therefore refuses to dwell too much on his qualifying mistake. With 72 laps to run on Sunday, there will still be many opportunities on a circuit where tire degradation and weather conditions could also play a role.
“Everything is still to play tomorrow” concludes Antonelli.
After finishing fourth in the Sprint earlier in the day, the championship leader will now have the chance to convert the speed shown by Mercedes into another strong result at Zandvoort.
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