The Formula 1 qualifying session at the Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez was far from an ordinary weekend outing for Kimi Antonelli. The 20-year-old rising star from Bologna arrived knowing that finishing ninth in the upcoming grand prix would be enough to secure the world title and crown him as the youngest F1 champion in history.
That monumental weight visibly altered his approach. According to insights from Speedweek, the championship leader confessed that he felt significantly more tense than usual throughout the entire qualifying hour as he battled to keep his emotions in check inside the cockpit of his Mercedes challenger.
"Yes, it was definitely more tense than usual. It wasn't easy keeping the emotions under control, and that certainly played a major role," the title contender admitted candidly after stepping out of the car.
Antonelli did not shy away from evaluating his own mistakes on track. He conceded that his performance fell short of his standards, pointing out that grip issues and unforced errors in Q3 derailed his final attempts at setting a representative lap time.
"This wasn't my best qualifying session. In Q3 I struggled to find the grip, and I couldn't put the lap together because I made too many mistakes," he explained, noting that earlier in the session he felt much more comfortable and optimistic about fighting higher up the grid.
Despite the frustration, the Silver Arrows charger secured a solid fourth place on the starting grid for the 19th round of the season. He remains upbeat about his prospects, particularly given the lengthy run down to the first corner.
"Everything is still possible. The run to the first turn is very long here, so making a good start and staying out of trouble will be crucial. Plus, we saved a fresh set of soft tires that could open up some interesting strategic options during the race," he concluded. Read our in-depth analysis and catch the latest championship updates here.
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