Kimi Antonelli dominated the Monaco Grand Prix qualifying and took pole position. The 19-year-old Mercedes driver beat Max Verstappen by just 0.043 seconds at the close of the session.
“It was one of those laps that we call a magic lap. I was able to put it all together,” Antonelli said. The Italian enters Sunday’s race with a 43-point lead in the championship and the possibility of adding his fifth consecutive victory.
Decisive pole position in Monaco
On the tightest street circuit of the season, qualifying often defines the race. Overtaking is almost impossible, so getting out first is a key advantage.
Lewis Hamilton qualified third for Ferrari, while George Russell, Antonelli’s teammate, placed sixth and expressed his bewilderment at the difference in performance of the Mercedes. “I don’t understand why the car suits his style better,” he told Sky Sports.
Verstappen acknowledged that finishing second was a positive result. Hamilton, for his part, pointed out that his chances of victory depend on possible rain.
Ferrari had led practice on Friday, but in qualifying it failed to place any car on the front row. Charles Leclerc will start fourth after touching a barrier on his last attempt. The Italian team was without its director, Fred Vasseur, absent for medical reasons.
McLaren was out of the rhythm of the three leading teams. Oscar Piastri was seventh and defending champion Lando Norris eighth.
Antonelli seeks to become the youngest world champion in history. To do this, they need to maintain their leadership and extend their winning streak. Mercedes, for its part, aims to remain undefeated in this season’s grand prix.
