SUZUKA, Japan: Mercedes teenager Kimi Antonelli secured pole position for the Japanese Grand Prix on Saturday after his early “banker lap” proved decisive in qualifying.
The 19-year-old Italian clocked a fastest time of one minute 28.778 seconds on his first run in the final shootout, with a mistake on his second attempt preventing any improvement.
It did not matter, however, as his initial effort was enough to beat teammate George Russell by 0.298 seconds.
“Putting that one lap in was very good,” Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff told Sky Sports.
“Bono (race engineer Peter Bonnington) told him to put a banker in – and then he pushed it a little bit hard on the last one and it wasn’t so good, but it’s really pleasing to see.”
Drivers typically complete two flying laps in Q3, with the first acting as a safety benchmark before a more aggressive final attempt.
Antonelli’s measured approach paid off as he claimed the 50th pole position by an Italian driver in Formula One.
The youngster arrives in Japan in strong form after securing his maiden pole and victory in China earlier this month and will now look to convert his front-row start into another win at Suzuka.
“When you hear his radio communications… it’s just calm,” Wolff added. “Not putting himself too much under pressure.”
