Antonelli: With each lap, I was going faster and faster.
Kimi Antonelli secured pole position for the second consecutive qualifying session, ahead of George Russell, while the British Mercedes driver complained about the car's behavior throughout the session.
Kimi Antonelli (1st): "I am very pleased with how this session went – everything came together well, and there were no mistakes. I feel very comfortable behind the wheel of the car, and with each lap, I was going faster and faster. It's just a shame that I locked up the brakes in turn 11 on my last attempt, but even that lap was decent.
Although there were some difficulties compared to the morning practice, because the wind picked up, and the rear of the car was less stable. But overall, the qualifying was truly satisfying, and now I will focus on preparing for tomorrow's race.
I want to say that the fans in Japan are incredibly passionate, and driving the car on this historic track gives me incredible emotions! Racing here in these cars is amazing, and such support from the crowd gives an extra boost."
George Russell (2nd): "We have both been very fast all weekend. But after the third practice, we made a number of small changes to the rear setup of the car, after which we encountered difficulties in qualifying. It felt like something broke. Overall, we still need to figure this out, but I was just very lucky to have set the second-fastest time again.
For the second weekend in a row, something is off in qualifying, but the race is only tomorrow, and we have something to fight for."
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Antonelli: With each lap, I was going faster and faster.
Kimi Antonelli secured pole position for the second consecutive qualifying session, ahead of his Mercedes teammate...