Kimi Antonelli admitted he felt “a bit stressed” before producing a stunning final lap to claim pole position for the British Grand Prix.
The Mercedes teenager continued his outstanding Silverstone weekend by beating both Ferraris and team-mate George Russell in qualifying, just hours after winning the sprint race.
Antonelli edged out Charles Leclerc by 0.175 seconds, with Lewis Hamilton third in the second Ferrari and Russell forced to settle for fourth.
It was another statement performance from the 19-year-old Italian, who looked calm and confident through Silverstone’s high-speed corners despite difficult gusty conditions.
Antonelli had briefly been concerned after leaving the pits at the front of the queue for the final runs, fearing he would not benefit from track evolution.
But those worries quickly proved unnecessary.
The championship leader improved his previous lap by almost three tenths of a second, putting himself beyond the reach of his rivals and strengthening his grip on the title race.
“I was a bit stressed because I never really like going first for the last run but the last lap was very tidy. It came all together,” Antonelli said.
Kimi Antonelli admitted he felt “a bit stressed” before producing a stunning final lap to claim pole position for the British Grand Prix
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“It was very tricky with the winds because it was very gusty, unpredictable, and to build the car to pole was very satisfying.”
The result was another blow for Russell, who trails Antonelli in the championship and now faces an uphill task to claim a first victory at his home grand prix.
Russell was 0.370 seconds slower than his Mercedes team-mate, underlining Antonelli’s growing authority inside the team.
Leclerc’s second place was also significant, ending a difficult qualifying run against Hamilton dating back to the Miami Grand Prix in early May.
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The Ferrari driver admitted he had been struggling for confidence in recent races but felt happier with the car at Silverstone.
“I am pleased,” Leclerc said.
“It has been a few tough races when the feeling was not quite right, struggling to put everything together.
“There has been so much work behind the scenes to get back that feeling.
“This was the first time I had it back, I have struggled to be consistent but it is a good start.”
Hamilton, who had been passed by Antonelli during the sprint earlier in the day, admitted Ferrari still lacked the outright pace to match Mercedes.
Kimi Antonelli and Lewis Hamilton are poised to a fierce battle at the British Grand Prix
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“Of course I’m not satisfied. I’m third. Both these guys did a great job today.
“Charles has been doing good improvements and we just didn’t have the pace of the Mercedes but we are slowly closing the gap and to have both of us here is good for the team.”
Behind the top four, Isack Hadjar qualified fifth after beating Max Verstappen for only the second time this season when both completed qualifying.
Lando Norris split the pair for McLaren, while Oscar Piastri finished ahead of Racing Bulls duo Arvid Lindblad and Liam Lawson to complete the top 10.
