Andrea Kimi Antonelli frustrated after Baku qualifying mistake, starts 16th

Andrea Kimi Antonelli admitted he was frustrated after an unforced error in the first segment of qualifying for the Azerbaijan Grand Prix left him 16th on the grid and facing a tougher recovery than he managed in Monza.

The championship leader clipped the inside wall at the first corner at the start of what would have been his second quick lap. The impact caused a suspension failure that forced him to stop the car and end his session early.

Antonelli’s opening quick lap would already have put him through to Q2, but because he could not complete the second run he will have to fight his way forward from 16th on Saturday. The situation was made harder by the fact that Mercedes were the quickest team around the Baku street circuit, with his teammate George Russell claiming pole by eight tenths of a second.

Driver reaction

Antonelli did not hide his disappointment and said the mistake came from a bad judgement as conditions changed: "It was just a misjudgement with so much change in grip."

He added that the error was unnecessary and a reminder to improve how he manages such situations: "It was an unnecessary mistake in the first half and a very good reminder that things don't work like this, so I need to deal with things much better."

Photo: press material from the event