Mercedes had a memorable Saturday in Formula 1 at Monaco, with Kimi Antonelli securing pole position for Sunday’s race. The young driver highlighted the team’s recovery after a difficult start to the weekend and celebrated the result in a session that was incredibly balanced.
The Italian stated that the car had evolved significantly since Friday, and the overnight work was crucial to putting him in a position to challenge for the front. According to him, the duel was tight against several rivals who also had the potential to sit atop the timing sheets.
Antonelli stated that the qualifying session didn’t start in ideal fashion: “The car felt a little on the limit at the beginning, but as the session progressed everything began to click. We made the right adjustments and I felt much more comfortable when we reached Q3.”
In the decisive phase of the session, Antonelli emphasized the pressure of chasing the final tenths on a track where any mistake can prove costly: “It was extremely tense. Finding those last tenths is never easy, especially with Max so close throughout the session. It all boiled down to hitting the lap at the right moment,” he said.
Despite taking pole, the young driver remained wary for the race. He recalled that strong rivals would be around him on the starting grid and stressed that the focus now is on a clean start and managing the race. Antonelli also noted that the performance displayed over the weekend boosts his confidence, though he concedes that Monaco tends to be unpredictable.
On the other side of the garage, George Russell endured a tougher session and finished only sixth. The British driver admitted that he couldn’t find enough confidence in the car and pointed to recent difficulties in extracting the maximum performance from the tires: “It’s been a frustrating spell for me. I need to understand why I’m having trouble making the tires work the way they need to,” he added.
The team principal, Toto Wolff, praised Antonelli’s performance and highlighted the significance of the result. According to him, it had been seven years since Mercedes last secured pole in Monaco. Regarding Russell, Wolff showed full support for the driver, stating that the lack of confidence in the car had hindered his performance, but reinforced that the team believes in a swift bounce-back for the Briton: “We know the capability he has. It’s just a matter of time until he returns stronger,” he added.
