Kimi Antonelli delivered a standout P5 in Jeddah qualifying, showing sharp pace and maturity as he continues to grow in confidence.
While George Russell will start third on the grid for the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix, all eyes were also on young talent Kimi Antonelli, who delivered an impressive performance to secure fifth place in qualifying for Mercedes.
Antonelli was on the edge throughout his flying lap but made a slight error in the first sector that cost him a few tenths—just enough to miss out on fourth place.
“It was an intense qualifying session!” he said afterward. “Things went well overall, and I kept building up speed as the session went on. I had a big moment on my first Q1 lap, which meant I had to use a second set of new tyres just to make it into Q2. Not ideal, but we pushed through to Q3. With the red flag, everything came down to the final run.”
“I need to review the lap, but I had a bit of a scare in the first sector that cost me some time. That’s frustrating because the rest of the lap was strong—I think P4 was definitely within reach.”
Antonelli also reflected on his growing confidence behind the wheel: “Every weekend I feel more comfortable. This track is a real challenge—you need trust, especially when you’re skimming the walls at high speed. I’m starting to feel like I’m piecing it all together more consistently. But let’s not get ahead of ourselves. Tomorrow’s a long race, and the goal is to bring home good points for the team.”
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