Andrea Kimi Antonelli is the youngest driver ever to achieve a pole position in Formula 1. That record had been held by Sebastian Vettel since 2008, but now the old record has been broken by the young Italian. At just 19 years old, this is only the starting point. “It’s only the beginning,” Antonelli concluded.
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Kimi Antonelli already achieved three podiums last year and qualified in the top three twice. Now the young Italian has taken pole position for the Grand Prix in China, as he stayed two-tenths ahead of teammate George Russell. Antonelli, who was born on August 25, 2006, is two years younger than the previous record held by Sebastian Vettel at the age of 21. This record was achieved in 2008 during qualifying at Monza. “I am really super happy with today. There is much more to come, I am really looking forward to tomorrow. This is only the beginning,” Antonelli said in the paddock in Shanghai.
‘Much to play for tomorrow’
Russell had a technical problem during the third part of qualifying, so Antonelli knew he might be able to go for pole. “I saw that Russell had a problem, but I tried to stay focused and put in a good lap. That finally worked. The car feels very good, it’s strong, so there’s a lot to play for tomorrow,” the Italian indicated.
Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff is proud of his young driver and defended the choice for Antonelli. “Many said he was too young, too young for Mercedes, that we should have prepared him differently. He did an excellent job today. I am so happy that Kimi is on pole,” said Wolff.
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‘Maintaining momentum’
According to Antonelli, there is also still room for improvement. “It’s not easy, Melbourne was certainly a shame. The crash in Australia during the third free practice caused a setback for qualifying and the race. It’s difficult to miss such a great opportunity. I have a fast car, so you go for it completely,” said the Mercedes driver. “In my case, I’m still learning how much risk I can take, especially in sessions where the result doesn’t really count.”
In addition, he emphasizes that it is important for him to remain consistent. “It’s about keeping the momentum going. In every situation, I have to bring everything together, even in a qualifying session and this from Q1 through Q3. I’m still trying to find my way to achieve that. Often I have a good first and second part of qualifying, but I let it slip in the third part. I need to improve on that,” Antonelli concluded.
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