Kimi Antonelli rues Turn 1 mistake after missing Dutch GP pole

Antonelli settles for third at Zandvoort

Kimi Antonelli admitted he was frustrated with himself after a mistake at Turn 1 cost him a chance to fight for pole position at the Dutch Grand Prix.

Antonelli had qualified fourth after his first Q3 run, but rain was looming when he made his final attempt. The championship leader believes he approached the Turn 1 hairpin too cautiously and lost two tenths in the opening sector.

He said Mercedes had not changed the car during the session in the way it normally would, when additional wing might be added to help the car turn more effectively.

“Unfortunately, I made a mistake in Turn 1. Especially seeing the rain, let’s say I went in too slow and lost a lot of time,” he added. “So it was a mistake on my part, but it’s still a third position.”

A difficult weekend, but title advantage intact

The qualifying error followed a troubled start to Antonelli’s weekend. An off at the penultimate corner in Friday’s sprint qualifying damaged his floor and cost him an estimated 25 points of downforce. He consequently started the sprint fifth and finished fourth, behind winner Russell, Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc and Norris.

Antonelli acknowledged that the earlier mistake had taken away some confidence, while the Mercedes’ balance continued to make it difficult to find a consistent rhythm.

“I still struggled to find my rhythm and to put the lap times together,” he said.

Sunday’s race offers the 19-year-old an immediate opportunity to respond. He leads Lewis Hamilton by 53 points in the championship, with Hamilton starting fifth, and is 56 points clear of Russell in third.

Attack without unnecessary risk

Antonelli expects the opening lap, tyre management and strategic flexibility to shape his recovery attempt. His approach will be aggressive, but measured.

“The mindset is the same: on the attack, but using my head,” he said. “If the opportunity presents, you take it. Otherwise, you wait and see how the situation develops. But I definitely don’t want to drive a defensive race.”