Qualifying wasn't easy for Kimi Antonelli as he struggled to extract the level of performance he's got used to from his Mercedes machinery. Finishing five-tenths off polesitter Max Verstappen, he stood in front of microphones thinking he was indeed fourth on the grid. But, thanks to a grid-place penalty for Isack Hadjar ahead of him, he was promoted to third. This resulted in a brilliant reaction from the Italian.
Talking to Formula 1 in the pen following the session, the championship leader begins his interview looking a tad deflated. It's the body language of a guy disappointed after what has been a very impressive second season of his career so far. But the reporter, Lawrence Barretto, mentions that he's still starting the race in a solid position: P3.
