By Mark Gero
Kimi Antonelli made it very clear on Saturday qualifying for the Japanese Grand Prix at the Suzuka International Circuit that his pole two weeks earlier was no fluke as the Italian clocked a 1: 28:778 best time ahead of his Mercedes teammate and series leader George Russell with McLaren’s Oscar Piastri finishing in third.
Antonelli had no trouble following his best time in the second session as Russell and anyone else could not match the 19-year-old and his quick laps.
“Super happy with the session.” Said Antonelli afterwards. “It was a good one, a clean one. And I felt very good in the car and every run I was just improving and improving.
Shame about the last lap after a lock-up in Turn 11 but it was a good one before that.”
Charles Leclerc, who took the opening session, was one driver who could have been close to Antonelli’s time, but the Ferrari driver ended up all over the circuit in his attempt to be at least third behind the two Mercedes. The mistakes were not good for the Monegasque and Leclerc finished fourth.
Defending champion Lando Norris was fifth in the second McLaren, just ahead of countryman and seven-time world champion Lewis Hamilton in the Ferrari. Alpine’s Pierre Gasly put in an excellent final lap to finish in seventh with the Red Bull of Isack Hadjar eighth. Audi’s Gabriel Bortoleto ended up in ninth, with rookie Arvid Lindblad in the Racing Bulls coming across the line at the last moment in tenth, knocking out the Red Bull of Max Verstappen, who has taken four consecutive poles at this circuit. The Dutchman and four-time world champion will start the race from 11th.
With the race coming up on Sunday, Antonelli has a chance to not only have taken two poles in a row, but two wins in succession, which would put him ahead of his Briton rival and teammate Russell in the world championship with a month’s five-week break coming up in April. Antonelli currently trails Russell by only four points.
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