Kimi Antonelli admits he’s delighted together with his sudden 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 System 1 by beating Oscar Piastri and Lando Norris on Friday afternoon in Miami, and can begin from pole for the Dash. With the outcome, 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 turn 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 principally the whole lot collectively and it was good that all of it got here very properly and I’m actually blissful to get the primary pole.
“Over the moon. I didn’t count on 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 are going to get pleasure from this second just a little bit extra, however as properly, I need to concentrate on tomorrow, as a result of I actually needed to try to repeat myself.
“We did fairly a future 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 suppose we are going to see tomorrow, throughout the race after which concerning the qualifying. The observe 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 fun together with his son after the Dash qualifying session, and the rookie paid tribute to his household after his landmark outcome.
“Undoubtedly it was very nice,” he stated. “Additionally to seek out him within the storage after qualifying, I’m tremendous blissful to share this second with him. It’s so necessary to me as properly, and he’s like a rock and I do know I can at all times depend on him. Actually blissful to share this second with him, and I want to share it with my mother and my sister as properly. 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 unique feeling, however I actually can’t watch for tomorrow and to see how we will do within the Dash after which in qualifying as properly.”
