Three-time W Series champion and Sky Sports Formula 1 pundit Jamie Chadwick believes Kimi Antonelli will be left feeling frustrated after being narrowly beaten to pole position by his team-mate George Russell during qualifying for the Canadian Grand Prix.
As the clock ticked down to zero in qualifying at Circuit Gilles Villeneuve, Antonelli looked set to take pole position for Sunday’s race with a time of 1:12.646.
But his experienced team-mate, who had already won the sprint race earlier on Saturday, knocked him off the top spot at the last moment with a time of 1:12.578.
“I don’t think George Russell was expecting pole position,” Chadwick told Sky Sports F1 after the qualifying session. “That whole session was horrible for him. He seemed to have an issue, and Kimi Antonelli had a big advantage.
“It was only really the last lap when it came to him, so I am sure there is a sense of relief and elation. Any time a sportsperson performs or bounces back under pressure it has double the effect.
“It looked like anyone could be up for pole for the whole session – Isack Hadjar was up there at one point – and then eventually it sorted itself out and we had the order it should be.”
Jamie Chadwick, Jaguar TCS Racing
Photo by: Alex Bierens de Haan / LAT Images via Getty Images
She added: “Kimi will be a bit frustrated. He was so strong throughout the session. I think he has had more consistent pace than George throughout this weekend and that is going to be important for him in the race.
“George seemed to have put a lap in when he needed to, but Kimi looks like he had the lap in him easier in that session.”
While the Mercedes’ drivers will take up the front row on the Canadian Grand Prix starting grid, McLaren’s Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri will start from third and fourth on the grid, with Ferrari’s Lewis Hamilton rounding out the top five.
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