Andrea Kimi Antonelli picked up a strong fifth-place finish in Formula 1‘s Singapore Grand Prix, but he has conceded that he was a “bit disappointed” with the result.
The Italian had admitted that he could have found himself on pole, with “emotion” costing him a maiden F1 Grand Prix pole position at the Marina Bay Street Circuit.
Antonelli sustained a tough start to the 62-lap race, losing out to Lando Norris and Charles Leclerc on the opening lap, where he remained across the opening stint.
He attributed his initial losses to starting on the dirtier side, which he feels “defined” his race and turned it into a missed opportunity on a weekend Mercedes had pace.
“The start was difficult, [the] left-hand side of the grid was a bit worse than the right-hand side, [it] was a bit dirtier and a bit more difficult to do a good start,” he told media including Motorsport Week.
“It was a shame as it defined a bit the race. As we have seen previously, track position is extremely important.”
But Antonelli would capitalise on Leclerc having to manage the brake temperature on his Ferrari to get back past the Monegasque in the closing stages with a bold move.
“The pace was really good to be honest, I felt really good in the car and just a bit disappointed because the potential was higher,” he continued.
“I think with a better Q3, [it] could have been a different story but we’ll try to do better next time.
“It was a tough race physically, but I’m happy with how I managed to battle back. The pace was good, and I was able to gain a position back with a good move on Leclerc.
“We could have achieved more tonight, but P5 is still OK.”
Antonelli back on track in rookie F1 campaign
Antonelli had suffered from a mid-season malaise through the European rounds, but back-to-back top-five finishes show that he is back on track in his rookie season.
With Mercedes appearing to have made genuine strides as team-mate George Russell took a commanding win, Antonelli is also now more comfortable with the W16.
“The car is getting stronger and stronger,” he highlighted.
“I’m able to really put the car where I want and really play with the car, so that is a real positive one and, yeah, just really looking forward to the next few races.”
READ MORE – Why Mercedes remains baffled by F1 Singapore GP dominance
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