Mercedes secured promising grid positions for the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix, with George Russell qualifying third and rookie Kimi Antonelli impressing again in fifth. Despite narrowly missing out on pole by just 0.110 seconds, Russell expressed satisfaction with third, acknowledging that the tight competition left him wondering about the small margins that could have made the difference. “P3 is a great result” said Russell, who remains optimistic about converting his strong position into another podium finish, his fourth in 5 races.
Kimi Antonelli, continuing his impressive debut season, endured a tense session but showed resilience. Early struggles in Q1 forced Antonelli to use an extra set of tyres, complicating his session. “I had a big snap in Q1” he explained, yet recovered well to advance into Q3. Although a minor mistake in the first sector of his final lap cost him a higher starting spot, Antonelli felt positive about his overall performance and growing confidence in managing the high-speed, barrier-lined track.
Team Principal Toto Wolff praised the team’s performance, highlighting the close battle between Mercedes, McLaren and Max Verstappen's Red Bull. Wolff was pleased that Russell could place himself in the mix, especially after FP3 suggested pole was unlikely. He also commended Antonelli’s maturity and consistency despite limited F1 experience, acknowledging the small error but reinforcing the young driver's strong pace.
Andrew Shovlin, Mercedes' Trackside Engineering Director, noted significant progress in the cooler evening conditions compared to earlier practice sessions. He explained the strategic tyre usage in Q1 that safely ensured Antonelli’s progression and detailed how the untimely red flag caused by Norris’s crash impacted their Q3 strategy. Despite the disrupted session, Shovlin saw positives in both drivers securing competitive starting positions. He noted the minor imperfections in their final laps as points for improvement but felt overall encouraged by the team's enhanced performance compared to the previous season.
Looking towards the race, Mercedes expects a challenging contest, particularly against the long-run pace demonstrated by McLaren. Both Russell and Antonelli remain optimistic about capitalising on their strong qualifying efforts, with the team fully prepared to seize opportunities in what is typically an unpredictable and eventful race in Jeddah.
