MIAMI, Florida — Earlier within the day throughout the FIA Press Convention, Mercedes Staff Principal Toto Wolff praised his rookie driver Kimi Antonelli for “increase consistently.”
As day turned to nighttime at Laborious Rock Stadium Wolff had one more reason to reward the staff’s younger driver, as Antonelli delivered a thunderous lap on the finish of Q3 to safe his first pole place, for tomorrow’s F1 Dash race.
“Congratulations to Kimi on his first Dash pole place in F1,” mentioned Wolff within the staff’s post-session media report. “It was an awesome lap in a good session and can be a second he’ll always remember.
“While it’s good that we’ll begin tomorrow’s Dash from P1, a very powerful factor is the progress we’re seeing from Kimi. He continues to be taught and get higher each weekend.
“He has now topped a session, even when it got here in Dash Qualifying. It’s one other vital milestone in his improvement, and we’ll proceed to assist him to keep up this trajectory,” added Wolff.
The Mercedes boss was not the one staff member heaping reward on Antonelli. Andrew Shovlin, the staff’s Trackside Engineering Director, joined in on the enjoyable as effectively.
“It’s nice to see Kimi take a effectively deserved Dash pole! He has regarded sturdy from the primary lap of FP1 however clearly saved the perfect till final,” mentioned Shovlin.
Shovlin additionally paid tribute to a little bit of historical past.
“To turn into the youngest driver to take a pole place in any format in F1 is a particular second and one he deserves to savor proper now,” continued Shovlin. “Our consideration will swiftly flip to tomorrow although with the Dash after which Qualifying for the Grand Prix later within the afternoon.”
That was not the one historical past Antonelli made on Friday. His ultimate lap in qualifying set a brand new file for the Miami Worldwide Autodrome, now in its fourth 12 months on the Method 1 schedule.
Rounding out the reward from the staff was none apart from George Russell, who certified fifth for tomorrow’s F1 Dash race.
“Firstly, large congratulations to Kimi! I’m actually happy to see him take his first pole place,” mentioned Russell. “He’s been actually fast proper from the primary lap in FP1 and that’s actually spectacular. It’s nice for him and the entire staff; hopefully he can convert that into a powerful end in tomorrow’s Dash.”
As for the younger driver, Antonelli conceded that he didn’t count on such a consequence.
“I’m feeling over the moon. I didn’t count on it, however I used to be feeling good within the automotive,” mentioned Antonelli after qualifying to the official F1 channel.
“I used to be capable of enhance lap by lap and discover that consistency, and that lap got here all collectively. I’m tremendous, tremendous proud of that, and now we’ll get pleasure from this second a bit of bit extra, however as effectively I wish to give attention to tomorrow as a result of I actually wish to attempt to repeat myself.”
Antonelli will get that probability to repeat himself tomorrow when the lights exit for the 19-lap F1 Dash race. He’ll face a tall job to carry onto P1, as he’ll have the quick McLaren duo of Oscar Piastri and Lando Norris beginning behind him in P2 and P3, respectively.
Nonetheless, the younger driver has already made some historical past right here in Miami, and the weekend is simply getting began.