Italian F1 driver Kimi Antonelli, during the 2025 Grand Prix season.
Photo: PHOTOSPORT
Italian teenager Kimi Antonelli said it was just the beginning after he set a pole record in Shanghai, ahead of today’s Chinese Formula One Grand Prix.
At 19 years, six months and 17 days Antonelli became the youngest Formula One driver ever to take pole position for a full grand prix.
The previous record was set by now-retired German driver Sebastian Vettel when he put Red Bull-owned Toro Rosso (now Racing Bulls) on pole at the age of 21 and 72 days at the 2008 Italian Grand Prix.
The Italian was also his country’s first polesitter since Giancarlo Fisichella for Mercedes-powered Force India, the team that is now Aston Martin, in Belgium in 2009.
“I’m very happy because at the end, you know, it’s just the beginning,” said Antonelli, who had a sprint pole in Miami last year but has yet to win a race.
“Obviously there’s a lot more to come. And, yeah, really looking forward to tomorrow … the car is feeling really good, the car is strong so, yeah, a lot to play for tomorrow.”
Big question marks had hung over Antonelli when he arrived at Mercedes as a rookie alongside George Russell, the current championship leader, after Lewis Hamilton shocked the sport by moving to rivals Ferrari.
Pundits questioned whether the then-18-year-old could live up to Hamilton’s legacy, even as Mercedes team boss Toto Wolff consistently touted the Italian as a top-tier talent.
But now he’s delivered, and that’s impressed Hamilton..
“A great record. It’s going to take a while for someone to ever get close to that one,” he said.
Antonelli was helped by Russell having no battery and getting stuck in gear at the start of the final phase and then getting only one flying lap for pole, which he converted into second place on the grid.
New Zealand’s Liam Lawson will start 14th on the grid, after being yellow flagged twice during the qualifying session, a disappointing follow up to a career best seventh placing in the Sprint Race.
– REUTERS