Kimi Antonelli admits Mercedes team call made him 'stressed' before snatching Silverstone pole

Andrea Kimi Antonelli has defined why he was “burdened” on his remaining Q3 run regardless of securing pole place in Components 1 qualifying on the British Grand Prix. 

F1 championship chief Antonelli produced a powerful efficiency in qualifying to convincingly beat the Ferrari duo of Charles Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton to pole round Silverstone. 

Antonelli secured his fifth pole of the season to keep up Mercedes’ unbeaten streak in qualifying, with the Silver Arrows claiming each pole on the first 9 grands prix to this point in 2026. 

However not every thing went easily for Antonelli, who was left annoyed to have been the primary driver to start out his remaining lap of the top-10 shootout. 

“I used to be a bit burdened as a result of I by no means actually like going first for the final run however the final lap was very tidy. It got here all collectively,” the Italian teenager stated.

“It was very difficult with the wind as a result of it was very gusty and unpredictable. However yeah, we constructed our approach via qualifying, and to convey residence pole could be very satisfying.”

Antonelli additionally needed to battle front-locking points and a brake situation in Q2, with the previous downside inflicting his Mercedes team-mate George Russell to go off in Q1. 

“We wrestle somewhat bit with entrance locking, particularly in circumstances like at the moment that we’ve to cope with into Flip 3. Entrance locking was very straightforward to attain. In my Q2, run one, I locked the entrance,” he defined. 

“But additionally I had somewhat situation with the brake pedal. It didn’t reply initially to once I deliberate to brake. So it additionally delayed a bit the braking section.

“To be honest we did some setting changes and that helped to regain the boldness on braking.”

Requested if in a single day adjustments have been key to Mercedes’ bounce again after Hamilton beat Antonelli to pole in Friday’s dash qualifying, he replied: “We didn’t change the automobile in any respect. 

“It was simply in regards to the differential, brake migration, and driving. We labored round it and managed to discover a good setting that helped me to progress via qualifying.”

Victory within the dash enabled Antonelli to increase his championship benefit by three factors, and he has an incredible alternative to drag even additional away from Russell, who certified fourth, in Sunday’s principal grand prix. 

Nonetheless, Antonelli just isn’t underestimating the risk posed by the Ferrari pair behind. 

“For certain, it’s not going to be straightforward,” he admitted. “I’ve acquired two Ferraris behind me, and for certain they’re going to work collectively.

“However their tempo is nice, and ours was sturdy within the Dash race. So hopefully we are able to maintain that tomorrow, and hopefully we are able to do a very good race.”