Kimi Antonelli (Mercedes/3rd), annoyed: “It’s my fault that pole is gone!”

Kimi Antonelli set the third-fastest time in the final practice session for the Dutch Grand Prix, finishing behind Lando Norris and his Mercedes team-mate George Russell. The 19-year-old Italian is not at all satisfied with his performance.

Kimi after the thrilling Zandvoort qualifying session: “That was a difficult qualifying session for me; I somehow always felt like I was lagging behind because I was struggling with the car’s balance. On the final lap, I made a mistake at Turn 1 – that’s a real shame, because I’m sure I lost a few tenths there. I was too cautious because I was worried the rain would make the track slippery.”

“It’s been a strange weekend. Free practice on Friday went really well, but then I made a mistake in the sprint qualifying. That cost me a bit of confidence.”

“I struggled again today to find the perfect feel for the car and the right rhythm. Things only improved in the third qualifying segment, but then I didn’t take enough risks right at the end.”

“The lap hadn’t started so well; I could see I’d lost two tenths in the first section, precisely because I’d been too cautious in Turn 1. And then I kept making up ground; in the end, I was only very slightly off pole, so I believe – it would have been within my power to set the fastest time here.»

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Zandvoort: Das Rennen

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“I’m not worried about the race, though. We’ve got good pace; I just need to avoid the slipstream from the cars in front. In other words – I need a brilliant start on Sunday!”