Mercedes' Antonelli blasts to Chinese GP pole, youngest in F1 history

The 19-year-old Italian Kimi Antonelli took pole position for the Chinese Grand Prix on Saturday, becoming the youngest driver to achieve the feat in Formula One history.

Antonelli led a Mercedes front-row lockout along with George Russell and erased the record of Sebastian Vettel, who was 21 when he took pole for the Italian Grand Prix in 2008.

“I’m happy with the lap I did,” Antonelli told reporters. “And really happy to be starting on pole for my first time.”

The Mercedes duo, as in Australia last weekend, have been dominant in Shanghai.

Antonelli blasted round in 1min 32.064sec, 0.222sec ahead of championship leader Russell, who had won the sprint race earlier in the day.

“It was a pretty clean session,” added Antonelli.

“It was nice because for the first time in a qualifying session I was able to find lap times every time I was going on track.”

The Ferrari pair of Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc will fill the second row of the grid for Sunday’s race after qualifying third and fourth.

Then came the two McLarens of Oscar Piastri and world champion Lando Norris.

Max Verstappen was only eighth fastest, continuing an unhappy weekend in a clearly struggling Red Bull.

 

‘Damage limitation’

Pierre Gasly was seventh in the Alpine with the second Red Bull of Isack Hadjar ninth and Oliver Bearman’s Haas rounding out the top 10.

Russell had got stuck in gear on his opening out lap in Q3 and had to return to the pits.

After the problem had been fixed it left him time for just one flying lap and he was unable to eclipse his teammate.

“Really happy for George who had an issue there,” said Antonelli of his teammate.

Russell said he was relieved to have set a lap time right at the end of the session.

“Definitely damage limitation,” said Russell.

“In Q2 the front wing broke, and then in Q3 I stopped out on track and then couldn’t change gear,” he said.

“On the last lap I had no battery, no tyre temp or anything. Really happy to be sat here right now because I could easily have been down in P10 without a time on the board,” he added.

Hamilton was grateful to be on the second row.

“I had a big snap on the first Q3 lap and was quite a bit down, and then the last lap was okay,” said the seven-time world champion.

“I think there’s a couple of tenths missing probably, but I’m just grateful to be up here,” he added.

Ferrari have been quick out of the blocks at the start of races so far and Hamilton said he would be eyeing up the two Mercedes in front of him on Sunday.

“I’m sure we’ll have some fun, I’m looking forward to it,” he said.

Leclerc was satisfied to be alongside his Ferrari teammate.

“There wasn’t much more for us, for me. I’m struggling a lot on this track for this season, it’s always been the case,” said the Monegasque.

“It’s not that I’m not trying, because I’m putting a lot of effort into it, but I just struggle coming into qualifying.”

Russell earlier won a thrilling sprint race after a back-and-forth scrap in the opening laps with Hamilton, who eventually finished third behind Leclerc.

It enabled the Mercedes driver, who won the opening race in Australia, to extend his championship lead to 11 points over teammate Antonelli and Leclerc. Hamilton is a further four points back.

Sunday’s grand prix will be raced over 56 laps of the 5.451km Shanghai International Circuit. AFP