Kimi Antonelli admits he’s delighted along with his surprising pole place for the Dash on the Miami Grand Prix, however is already eyeing a repeat in Saturday’s qualifying session.
The 18-year-old turned the youngest driver to set the quickest time in any qualifying session in Formulation 1 by beating Oscar Piastri and Lando Norris on Friday afternoon in Miami, and can begin from pole for the Dash. With the consequence, his first top-three efficiency in any aggressive a part of an F1 weekend, Antonelli admits it got here out of the blue, however his focus is already switching to attempting to develop into the youngest polesitter for a grand prix within the sport’s historical past Saturday.
“It was a really intense qualifying,” Antonelli stated. “I felt actually good since this morning, and I felt assured going into qualifying. The final lap was mighty. I put mainly all the pieces collectively and it was good that all of it got here very properly and I’m actually glad to get the primary pole.
“Over the moon. I didn’t anticipate it, however I used to be feeling good within the automotive. I used to be capable of enhance lap by lap and discover that consistency, and in that lap all of it got here collectively. I’m tremendous, tremendous pleased with that. Now we’ll take pleasure in this second just a little bit extra, however as effectively, I need to give attention to tomorrow, as a result of I actually needed to try to repeat myself.
“We did fairly a long term in FP1 to try to collect as a lot data as attainable. In fact, we don’t actually know the tempo of the others, however I assume we’ll see tomorrow, throughout the race after which concerning the qualifying. The monitor goes to maintain evolving, so it’s going to be necessary to be on high of it and attempt to repeat ourselves.”
Antonelli’s father was current within the Mercedes storage and was capable of have a good time along with his son after the Dash qualifying session, and the rookie paid tribute to his household after his landmark consequence.
“Undoubtedly it was very nice,” he stated. “Additionally to search out him within the storage after qualifying, I’m tremendous glad to share this second with him. It’s so necessary to me as effectively, and he’s like a rock and I do know I can at all times depend on him. Actually glad to share this second with him, and I wish to share it with my mother and my sister as effectively. Hopefully subsequent time.
“Tomorrow it’s going to be good to begin on the entrance row. It’s going to be a little bit of a distinct feeling, however I actually can’t await tomorrow and to see how we will do within the Dash after which in qualifying as effectively.”
