Mercedes driver Andrea Kimi Antonelli looked crushed after a disappointing Belgium Grand Prix Qualifying.
Antonelli finished 20th in sprint qualifying due to spinning out of control after pushing too hard on his final lap of SQ1.
He finished in 17th place for the sprint race, gaining a few places, but was unable to capture any points.
Then, in qualifying for the grand prix, Antonelli finished in P18, a much lower position than the car merits.
His teammate, George Russell, starts sixth, showcasing the potential of the W16 as a car that belongs in a points-scoring position.
During the media session after the race, Antonelli appeared emotional following another performance.
“Yeah, I mean, since the European [leg of the] season, I’ve been struggling to find confidence with the car, and I feel like I’ve done a backward step,” the Italian driver said.
“It’s a difficult moment for me because I feel like I have no confidence on pushing. Yesterday I tried to push a bit too much, and then I spun, and then it kind of hurts the confidence even more.
“But it’s a difficult period, I think. We know the limitation we have since quite a lot, but with the way I’m driving, I’m just increasing the problem. And that gives me even less confidence with the car.”
He was only about three-tenths away after Q1, making his performance not a complete disaster, but it is a far cry from the impressive pace that he has shown over the first handful of races.
During the North American swing, he scored a sprint race win at Miami and his first podium finish in Canada.
Since then, it has been downhill for the driver, who voiced his concerns about the changes to his driving style as the car evolved.
“Well, the team has been trying to help me as much as possible,” he added.
“But on my side I’m probably trying to change the way I’m driving too much. And it feels like I’m not driving naturally. It’s very forced the way I’m driving and it’s just difficult.”
The Italian will start from the pit lane as the team makes adjustments to the car, depending on the weather conditions, which are expected to bring rain to the track throughout the race.
Belgium Grand Prix Qualifying Results
- Lando Norris (McLaren)
- Oscar Piastri (McLaren)
- Charles Leclerc (Ferrari)
- Max Verstappen (Red Bull)
- Alex Albon (Williams)
- George Russell (Mercedes)
- Yuki Tsunoda (Red Bull)
- Isack Hadjar (Racing Bulls)
- Liam Lawson (Racing Bulls)
- Gabriel Bortoleto (Sauber)
- Esteban Ocon (Haas)
- Ollie Bearman (Haas)
- Pierre Gasly (Alpine)
- Nico Hulkenberg (Sauber)
- Carlos Sainz (Williams)
- Lewis Hamilton (Ferrari)
- Franco Colapinto (Williams)
- Kimi Antonelli (Mercedes)
- Fernando Alonso (Aston Martin)
- Lance Stroll (Aston Martin)
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