Italian Teen Antonelli Secures Pole Position at Japanese Formula One Grand Prix

19-year-old Italian driver Kimi Antonelli claimed pole position for the Japanese Formula One Grand Prix at Suzuka with a strategic first qualifying lap. His conservative approach paid off when a mistake on his second attempt prevented him from improving his time.

SUZUKA, Japan – Nineteen-year-old Italian Formula One driver Kimi Antonelli secured the top starting position for Sunday’s Japanese Grand Prix by making his first qualifying lap count at Suzuka Circuit.

The young Mercedes driver posted a time of 1 minute, 28.778 seconds during his initial run in the final qualifying session, which proved fast enough to earn pole position despite a costly error on his follow-up attempt.

Antonelli experienced a wheel lock-up during his second qualifying run that prevented him from improving his time, but his opening effort was sufficient to outpace Mercedes teammate George Russell by nearly three-tenths of a second.

Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff praised the teenager’s approach during an interview with Sky Sports, saying “Putting that one lap in that was very good.”

“Bono (Antonelli’s engineer Peter Bonnington) told him to put a banker in – and then he pushed it a little bit hard on the last one and it wasn’t so good, but it’s really pleasing to see,” Wolff explained.

In Formula One qualifying, drivers commonly attempt two fast laps during the final session. The opening run serves as a safety net, with drivers typically exercising caution to guarantee a competitive time before attempting a more aggressive final lap for pole position.

Antonelli’s cautious strategy proved successful, marking the 50th pole position achieved by an Italian driver in Formula One history.

The achievement comes just two weeks after Antonelli captured his maiden pole position and race victory in China, as he now seeks his first triumph at Suzuka’s challenging circuit, widely regarded as one of motorsport’s premier tracks.

Wolff highlighted the young driver’s composure under pressure, noting “When you hear his radio communications, also on the intercom in the garage, it’s just calm.”

“Not putting himself too much under pressure,” the team boss added.