Kimi Antonelli sets F1 record to secure pole position at Chinese Grand Prix
Kimi Antonelli has made history as the youngest pole-sitter in Formula One after George Russell encountered a gearbox issue during qualifying for the Chinese Grand Prix.
Despite the setback, Russell managed to secure second place on the grid, contributing to Mercedes achieving a consecutive front-row lockout. However, the championship leader was limited to a single flying lap in Shanghai due to stopping on track with mechanical difficulties early in Q3.
Russell left his garage with only two minutes left in the session but was unable to match Antonelli’s time, with the Italian finishing 0.222 seconds ahead.
At 19 years, six months, and 18 days old, Antonelli surpasses Sebastian Vettel’s 18-year-old record as the youngest driver to claim pole position in qualifying. Vettel was 21 years, two months, and 11 days old when he achieved pole at the Italian Grand Prix in 2008.
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Lewis Hamilton qualified third in his Ferrari, finishing ahead of Charles Leclerc in the other red car. Oscar Piastri and Lando Norris will start in fifth and sixth positions respectively for McLaren. Max Verstappen secured eighth place, nearly nine tenths off the leading time.
Earlier in the day, Russell had triumphed over challenges from Hamilton and then Leclerc to win the Sprint race. Antonelli finished fifth, trailing reigning world champion Norris. Following the race, Russell compared the competitive encounters with Ferrari to his childhood go-kart experiences, stating, “There’s a lot going on, but it makes it quite fun and definitely feels more like go-kart racing in the past.”
Source: espn.com
