Andrea Kimi Antonelli has shared his concerns and struggles ahead of the qualifying session for the Mexican Grand Prix. Despite being considered a title contender in Formula 1, the Italian admitted to feeling “tense” and “tired,” a state influenced by pressure and a recent illness.
During the qualifying session, Antonelli showed a time that left him only 0.001s behind Lando Norris’s best time in the practice session. However, at the crucial moment in qualifying, he failed to match his Mercedes teammate George Russell’s performance and ended up fourth on the grid.
Antonelli used preparation tires during qualifying to warm up his tires, although Russell opted for a different strategy, which proved effective, securing the pole position. Lewis Hamilton, with an impressive time, achieved his first pole with Ferrari and the 105th of his career.
Furthermore, the driver revealed that he had been struggling with illness this weekend, missing his media duties due to a high fever. Although feeling better, he acknowledges that, physically, he is still not at 100%.
“I feel very tired. I haven’t fully recovered yet, and it hasn’t been an easy weekend,” he explained. “I’ve tried to block out the voices telling me that the title is mine, but it hasn’t been easy. Today I’ve been more tense than usual.”
Antonelli referenced the importance of having a good start in the race, especially at the first corner, where opportunities to gain positions are crucial. “If we get a good start, I think we can move forward, although knowing that Ferrari might have a faster race pace.”
To tackle the race, Antonelli made it clear that his priority will be to rest well and prepare mentally, including using melatonin to ensure good sleep. “I hope to be able to sleep around ten hours,” he concluded, anticipating a decisive day at the Mexican circuit.
Written by FormulaRapidaAI
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