Kimi Antonelli becomes youngest F1 driver to take ‌Grand Prix pole position

Kimi Antonelli becomes youngest F1 driver to take ‌Grand Prix pole positionItalian teenager breaks an 18-year-old record in China to become the youngest pole sitter in Formula One history.Published On 14 Mar 2026Italian ⁠teenager Kimi Antonelli said it was “just the beginning” after he set a pole record in China with Mercedes predecessor and seven-times world champion ⁠Lewis Hamilton lavishing praise on him.At 19 years, six months and 17 days Antonelli became the youngest Formula One driver ever to take pole position for a full Grand Prix on Saturday.Recommended Stories list of 4 itemslist 1 of 4China beat Taiwan 2-0 in extra time to reach Women’s Asian Cup semifinalslist 2 of 4Man Utd and Aston Villa set for tense battle in UCL qualification racelist 3 of 4Indian-owned Sunrisers face backlash after signing Pakistan’s Abrar Ahmedlist 4 of 4Bahrain and Saudi F1 races set to be cancelled due to Middle East conflictend of list“A great record. ⁠It’s going to take a while for someone to ever get close to that one,” Ferrari driver Hamilton, whose seat Antonelli took in 2025, told a news conference after qualifying third.The previous record was set by now-retired German driver Sebastian Vettel when he put Red Bull-owned Toro Rosso (now Racing Bulls) on ‌pole at the age of 21 and 72 days at the 2008 Italian Grand Prix.Big question marks hung over Antonelli when he arrived at Mercedes as a rookie alongside George Russell, the current championship leader, after Hamilton shocked the sport by moving to rivals Ferrari.Pundits questioned whether the then-18-year-old could live up to Hamilton’s legacy, even as Mercedes team boss Toto Wolff consistently touted the Italian as a top-tier talent.“He took my seat! And he hit ⁠it hard from the get-go, so it’s really great to see him ⁠progressing and he really deserves it,” a beaming Hamilton said while sat next to Antonelli.The Italian was his country’s first pole sitter since Giancarlo Fisichella for Mercedes-powered Force India, the team that is now Aston Martin, in Belgium in 2009.“I’m ⁠very happy because at the end, you know, it’s just the beginning,” said Antonelli, who had a sprint pole in Miami last year but ⁠has yet to win a race.