Why Antonelli felt ‘a bit stressed’ ahead of Silverstone pole lap

Kimi Antonelli secured another standout pole position at the British Grand Prix, but the Mercedes driver revealed the moment came with more tension than it appeared from the outside, admitting he felt “a bit stressed” before his decisive Q3 run.

Despite that pressure, the 19-year-old delivered when it mattered most, producing a superb 1m28.111s lap to take his fifth pole of the 2026 season and extend Mercedes’ flawless qualifying record in Grand Prix sessions this year.

Charles Leclerc will line up alongside him on Sunday’s front row, with the latter’s Ferrari team-mate Lewis Hamilton just behind in third and George Russell in fourth.

Antonelli had already shown strong pace earlier in earlier segments of qualifying, but his final run in Q3 brought a nerve-wracking twist when he was sent out first – something that clearly unsettled the championship leader over team radio.

Why ‘stressed’ Antonelli faced early pressure

Reflecting on the emotional build-up to his pole lap, Antonelli admitted the situation was far from ideal, particularly given his preference to have track evolution working in his favour.

“I was a bit stressed because I never really like going first for the last run," he recounted. "But yeah, the last lap was very tidy, I have to be honest. It all came together.

"It was very tricky with the wind because it was very gusty and unpredictable. But yeah, we built our way through Qualifying, and to bring home pole is very satisfying.”

The Mercedes driver’s concerns were understandable given the high-stakes context, but once on track he produced a flawless final effort that none of his rivals could match.

Fine margins, fine execution in changing conditions

Antonelli also shed light on the technical approach behind his performance, explaining that Mercedes opted against major setup changes between the Sprint and qualifying sessions.

Instead, the focus was on refining driving execution and fine-tuning smaller mechanical settings.

“No, we didn’t change the car at all,” he said. “It was just about the differential, brake migration, and driving. We worked around it and managed to find a good setting that helped me to progress through Qualifying.”

The result was another commanding display of control in difficult conditions, with gusty Silverstone winds repeatedly disrupting balance through high-speed sections and catching out several drivers across the field.

Ferrari threat looms large for Sunday

Looking ahead to race day, Antonelli remains wary of what awaits, particularly with both Ferraris starting directly behind him and expected to employ coordinated strategy over long runs.

• British Grand Prix - Qualifying results

“For sure. It’s not going to be easy,” the championship leader admitted. “I’ve got two Ferraris behind me, and for sure they’re going to work together.

“But their pace is good, and ours was strong in the Sprint race. So hopefully we can keep that tomorrow, and hopefully we can do a good race.”

For now, though, Antonelli leaves Saturday as the man to beat once again—polished under pressure, even if he insists the nerves were very real before the lap that ultimately defined his Silverstone weekend.

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