Kimi Antonelli takes the blame after qualifying

Mercedes driver Andrea Kimi Antonelli spoke to Sky with regret about what happened at the end of qualifying for the Austrian Grand Prix, when his teammate George Russell secured pole position under yellow flags. The Bologna-born driver, on the other hand, lifted off the throttle and finished in fourth place.

“I made a mistake. I don’t know why, but I thought there were double yellow flags, so I aborted the lap. Instead, there was only one yellow flag. It’s a shame, but it’s a learning experience,” he told Sky.

“I’m angry with myself because I made a judgment error that unfortunately cost me a spot on the front row,” continued the World Championship leader, who isn’t making a big deal out of it, however, and is looking forward to Sunday’s race with confidence.

“It won’t be easy, starting from P4 and behind the two Ferrari drivers, but the pace is very good, and we’ve also decided to go with a setup that’s better suited for the race. I wasn’t great in the second part of qualifying, though.”