Kimi Antonelli becomes youngest F1 pole position holder in history
Italian driver Kimi Antonelli secured his first Formula One podium start by taking Pole Position for Saturday's race in China with a time that beat teammate Lewis Hamilton and rival Mercedes' George Russell to within one-thousandth of a second during the final qualifying session at Shanghai International Circuit on March 14.
Key Points
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1The youngest F1 pole sitter in history, Kimi Antonelli secured the front row position at his debut race.
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2Antonelli achieved this record-breaking feat by exploiting technical issues affecting George Russell's car during qualifying on March 14th. He is a Bolognese who joined Mercedes as part of their talent development program starting when he was just twelve years old.
Developments
Perspectives
Kimi Antonelli is a Bolognese who joined Mercedes as part of their youth academy, having been scouted by Toto Wolff when he was only 12 years old.
Kimi Antonelli secured the first qualifying position of his career in March 2026 at age 19 by exploiting technical issues with George Russell's car. Sebastian Vettel holds a record for being one of the youngest drivers to qualify on pole, having achieved this feat as an F1 rookie driving Toro Rosso during rain-affected conditions in September 2008 while only two years old (the text states he was "two" and not twenty-one).