That left him with only one new set for Q3<\/strong>, reducing his opportunities to improve when the final positions were decided.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\u201cI did what I could, but definitely with another set, we could have fought for front row \u2013 not P1, because Max [Verstappen] was just too quick today. So probably front row was possible today, but obviously a shame with the track limits and we’ll try to do our best tomorrow,\u201d Antonelli said after qualifying at Sepang.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Hadjar\u2019s penalty nevertheless puts the Mercedes driver on the second row, immediately behind the two most successful drivers on the grid. Antonelli welcomed the improvement in his starting position and turned his attention to what might be achievable over the race distance.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cWe’ll try to do our best with what we have,\u201d the Mercedes driver explained. \u201cDeg is going to be very big \u2013 we’ll see if it’s going to be a matter of two stops, three stops.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cAlso, rain is around tomorrow. So yeah, we’ll try everything we can, and I\u2019m looking forward to it tomorrow,\u201d he added.<\/p>\n\n\n\nAndrea Kimi Antonelli waves to fans at Sepang (Photo: Mercedes)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\nWhy Antonelli wants to use the undercut<\/h2>\n\n\n\n Antonelli\u2019s preferred approach is to attack when a pit-stop opportunity opens<\/strong>, rather than rely entirely on overtaking the leaders on track. He believes the performance difference between fresh and worn tyres could make an early stop particularly effective.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\u201cIt’s going to be a race where we will attack because undercut is incredibly powerful,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
An undercut involves stopping before a rival and using fresh tyres to gain time while that rival continues on an older set. If the advantage is sufficient, the chasing driver moves ahead once the other car completes its stop.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
At Sepang, the potential reward comes with a trade-off. Stopping earlier also extends the distance that must be covered during the following stint<\/strong>, while traffic can prevent a driver from making full use of the fresh tyres.<\/p>\n\n\n\nMercedes will therefore need to judge the opportunity against the remaining race distance. An immediate gain in position is valuable only if the subsequent tyre management allows the driver to remain competitive.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Mercedes still needs to understand its upgrade<\/h2>\n\n\n\n Antonelli explained that the rough surface and intense heat have complicated the assessment of Mercedes\u2019 new package. Tyres moving outside their operating window leave the car sliding, making it harder to isolate the effects of the changes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Mercedes\u2019 Saturday provided sharply contrasting results:<\/strong> Antonelli led final practice but could not challenge Verstappen for pole. In the team\u2019s subsequent assessment, he acknowledged that the circuit\u2019s abrasive asphalt and hot conditions made consistent performance difficult.<\/p>\n\n\n\nHis qualifying was also compromised by a track-limits infringement in Q2. The deleted lap forced him to use another set of soft tyres, leaving only one new set for Q3.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Antonelli believes a second fresh set could have helped him fight for the front row, but accepted that Verstappen\u2019s pole pace was beyond reach. Third on the grid nevertheless keeps him close enough to the leaders to respond if a strategic opportunity develops.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\nRace pace will decide whether the plan works<\/h2>\n\n\n\n Mercedes\u2019 official assessment also identified multiple stops and the possibility of rain as potential openings. Antonelli\u2019s optimism comes with a condition: the team needs competitive race pace to exploit them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
That distinction matters. An early stop can change track position, but maintaining that advantage requires the driver to keep the tyres effective throughout the stint.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
For Antonelli, Sunday offers the chance to turn a disappointing qualifying session into a stronger result. The undercut is a tool for that recovery; the effectiveness of Mercedes\u2019 race car will determine how far it can take him.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\nFormula 1 returns this weekend, from 2\u20134 October, to Malaysia, which hosts the Bahrain Grand Prix. GRANDE PR\u00caMIO<\/strong> will cover all the action at Sepang.<\/p>\n\n\n\nF1 today: FAQ<\/h2>\n\n\n\nWho won the Bahrain Grand Prix in Malaysia?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n Max Verstappen won the Bahrain Grand Prix at Sepang on Sunday, 4 October, taking his first victory of the 2026 F1 season. Kimi Antonelli finished second, with Lewis Hamilton completing the podium.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Why was the Bahrain Grand Prix in Malaysia delayed?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n Heavy rain initially delayed the start at Sepang. Several drivers then experienced power delivery problems during the formation procedure, forcing race control to suspend the start again. The race eventually began more than 90 minutes after its scheduled time.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
How far ahead is Kimi Antonelli in the F1 championship?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n Kimi Antonelli leads George Russell by 84 points after finishing second at Sepang while his Mercedes teammate retired. Antonelli has 320 points, Russell has 236 and Lewis Hamilton is third with 214.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Where does Kimi Antonelli start the Bahrain GP?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n Antonelli starts third, behind Max Verstappen and Lewis Hamilton, after Isack Hadjar\u2019s penalty.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Starting third, the championship leader sees early pit stops as an opportunity to recover after Mercedes\u2019 disappointing qualifying performance<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":1020316968,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"42wp_featured_image_caption":"Andrea Kimi Antonelli","42wp_featured_image_credits":"Foto: Alexander Seregin\/ASPPA Images Europe","42wp_featured_video":"","42wp_featured_image_hidden":false,"42wp_authors_list":[{"id":31,"location":""}],"footnotes":"","42wp_breaking_news":false},"categories":[5],"tags":[630,622,314,16],"42wp_author":[31],"class_list":["post-3339","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-f1","tag-bahrain-grand-prix-in-malaysia","tag-f1-tyre-strategy","tag-kimi-antonelli","tag-mercedes","42wp_author-bernardo-castro"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/grandepremio.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3339","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/grandepremio.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/grandepremio.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/grandepremio.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/grandepremio.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=3339"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/grandepremio.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3339\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":3340,"href":"https:\/\/grandepremio.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3339\/revisions\/3340"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/grandepremio.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/1020316968"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/grandepremio.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=3339"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/grandepremio.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=3339"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/grandepremio.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=3339"},{"taxonomy":"42wp_author","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/grandepremio.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/42wp_author?post=3339"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}
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