Monaco ‘magic lap’ furthers Antonelli’s aura

It’s a bit too easy to keep writing out records when Kimi Antonelli has a successful day at the moment, given the 19-year-old’s age seeing him set a new benchmark as the youngest to achieve multiple results at different venues.

Monaco is special, though. To be the youngest pole-sitter in Monaco Grand Prix history is a big deal, and Antonelli did it in style on Saturday.

This wasn’t a race weekend where Mercedes had a big advantage. Sure, it showed its car to be an all-round strong offering as it comfortably outpaced the customer McLaren, but from Friday it appeared Ferrari had the quickest car, and the closest challenger to Charles Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton was Max Verstappen.

Mercedes – and Antonelli in particular – joined that party on Saturday, but when Verstappen put his Red Bull on provisional pole with his final Q3 lap, beating the two Ferraris that had gone before him, he thought he had all-but-secured a first pole position of the season, and 49th overall.

“It’s close… Sometimes you are just ahead, sometimes you’re just behind – that’s life,” Verstappen said. “But for me, I was happy with my lap. So, when I crossed the line, I was like, ‘OK, if someone beats that, fair enough. That’s part of it.’ And we just came up short.”

The man to beat it was Antonelli, as he went 0.043s quicker with a lap that carried plenty of jeopardy.

Make a mistake and an opportunity to put clear daylight on the grid between himself and George Russell would slip away. Get it right, and the adulation of pole position – and with it a great chance to become a Monaco Grand Prix winner – would follow. The Italian admitted that final run was a big rush.

“Still kind of shaking, to be fair,” Antonelli added. “It’s just super intense. You have no margin for mistakes and when it’s about polishing those last two, three tenths, it’s never easy. Especially when Max is so close, and also the Ferrari, Lewis, has been so strong the whole weekend. Definitely it’s not easy, but obviously very happy to come away with pole today.

“It was one of those laps that we call the magic lap. I was able to put it all together and it was such a close qualifying with Max. I think in the first run of Q3 there was just one millisecond between us, but I knew the last lap was good and I was just hoping that it would have been enough. But it was very close and I’m very happy with that. Massive thanks to the team because yesterday we struggled a little bit and today, we were able to improve massively.”

Monaco is a circuit that typically rewards experience, but on Saturday the veterans were saluting the new ace. Steven Tee/Getty Images

Perhaps more significant than the fact he put his car on pole position, though, was the way in which Antonelli handled the opportunity. I’ll admit I came into this season expecting some major highs for the second-year Mercedes talent, but also some clear lows, and a lack of consistency that would make Russell the title favorite.

Antonelli has already exceeded those expectations, but any lingering concerns that he might struggle to handle the pressure of big opportunities, such as a Monaco pole, are also starting to dwindle with each passing weekend.

The temptation to just ask that little bit too much in search of the lap time is so great. Just look at Leclerc, who was as good as matching Antonelli on a final attempt at the end of Q3 but slid into the barrier at Tabac. Leclerc is proven around these streets, but the tightrope all of the drivers are treading is so fine, and letting emotion take over even just a tiny bit can be catastrophic.

“I think this is one of the most intense, if not the most intense qualifying sessions of the year, and it takes a massive effort, also in practice, because you just keep trying to get close to the limit,” Antonelli admits. “And when it’s about finding the last two tenths, it’s not easy because the walls start to come closer and it’s not easy to gain the confidence. But I have to be honest, I felt great this morning and I’m happy that we could finish the job today.”

The points haven’t been handed out yet, and Antonelli could still come unstuck at the start, or make a mistake in the race. But the pressure is highest here in qualifying, and it’s a performance that stands out as another coming-of-age moment, providing even further proof that Antonelli is ready to convert his first chance to become a champion in just his second season.

“I think you see a few guys grow up from younger categories that have something special and when they switch categories, they are immediately quick,” Verstappen said after qualifying. “I think that was quite clear with Kimi, so that was not a surprise.

“But then when you get to Formula 1, it’s not only talent. Things have to come together. You need to become a more all-around driver and then, of course, you need to have the package to be able to do it. But I think this year he’s showing that once he has a package that can do it, he is delivering as a driver. So that’s great to see and that’s what he has to do.”

Verstappen will look to prevent Antonelli becoming the youngest Monaco Grand Prix winner in history, but even so early in the season it’s becoming harder and harder to envisage anyone stopping him from taking the ultimate prize.