News Summary

Andrea Kimi Antonelli admitted that putting together a complete qualifying lap at Madring was particularly difficult after missing Spanish GP pole position to Lando Norris by just 0.011s.

The Mercedes driver briefly held provisional pole after producing a strong final Q3 lap, only for Norris to respond with a 1:31.824 and beat Antonelli’s 1:31.835 by 11 thousandths.

“It’s not easy to put things together on a track like this,” Antonelli said after qualifying.

The margin was tiny, but the result continued an impressive Madrid weekend for the championship leader. Mercedes began Friday with George Russell leading Antonelli in an FP1 one-two before the Italian went fastest in FP2. Antonelli then topped FP3 on Saturday before narrowly losing out to Norris when pole was decided.

That performance confirmed the speed Mercedes had shown from the opening laps at Formula 1’s new venue, even if Antonelli was unable to convert it into the first pole position in Madring history.

The challenge, according to the 20-year-old, comes from the nature of the circuit itself. Madring combines high-speed sections with walls close to the racing line and very little margin for error, making it particularly difficult to extract everything from the car without exceeding the limit.

Antonelli had already described the Madrid venue as a major challenge after Friday practice, highlighting its fast corners and proximity of the barriers. The demands became even clearer on Saturday, when Lewis Hamilton and Ollie Bearman both crashed during FP3.

Qualifying itself was considerably cleaner, allowing Antonelli to attack throughout Q3.

His decisive lap initially appeared enough. Antonelli moved ahead of Russell by 0.244s to take provisional pole, but Norris was still completing his final attempt. The McLaren driver crossed the line 0.011s quicker to settle the battle.

The result puts Norris and Antonelli together on the front row for the inaugural Spanish GP at Madring, with Max Verstappen starting third and Lewis Hamilton fourth.

For Antonelli, second still represents an important starting position in the championship fight. The Italian leads Russell by 66 points, while his Mercedes team-mate starts only sixth after qualifying 0.325s away from Norris.

Antonelli therefore heads into Sunday with an opportunity not only to fight Norris for victory but also to extend his championship advantage if he can again finish ahead of Russell.

The start could be crucial. Overtaking is expected to be difficult at Madring, making the run to Turn 1 one of Antonelli’s first opportunities to reverse the 0.011s deficit that denied him pole on Saturday.

FAQ

How close was Andrea Kimi Antonelli to Spanish GP pole?

Antonelli qualified second, just 0.011s behind Lando Norris. Norris set a 1:31.824, compared with Antonelli’s 1:31.835.

What did Antonelli say after qualifying at Madring?

Antonelli highlighted how difficult the new Madrid circuit is over a qualifying lap, saying: “It’s not easy to put things together on a track like this.”

Where does Antonelli start the Spanish GP?

Antonelli starts second alongside pole-sitter Norris. Max Verstappen and Lewis Hamilton occupy the second row.