Kimi Antonelli aims for 5th win in a row at Monaco GP to extend his F1 lead 

Mercedes driver Andrea Kimi Antonelli of Italy celebrates after setting the pole position during the qualifying session for the Monaco F1 Grand Prix, at the Monaco racetrack, Saturday [AP Photo]

Kimi Antonelli is aiming to continue a remarkable rise to the top of Formula 1 as he started on pole position for the Monaco Grand Prix yesterday with a chance to further stretch his standings lead.

Monaco is the glamorous traditional high point of the F1 season and the 19-year-old Mercedes driver could join some of the sport’s greatest names as a winner.

It’s almost impossible to overtake on the narrow, twisty street circuit, so his pole position is especially valuable. He starts ahead of two of the most successful F1 drivers ever, with Max Verstappen second for Red Bull and Lewis Hamilton third for Ferrari.

“I just need to get a clean start, don’t try to do the magic start,” Antonelli said Saturday. Hamilton said that to have a shot at winning, he might need rain, which is unlikely to affect the race.

After a winless rookie season, Antonelli took his first F1 victory at the Chinese Grand Prix in March and has followed up with wins in Japan, Miami and Canada to lead teammate George Russell by 43 points. He would be the youngest champion in F1 history.

Mercedes has won all five Grand Prix races so far this year and is aiming for a sixth. Russell hasn’t won since the opening race in Australia and starts sixth for Sunday’s race after admitting he was “bamboozled” by how the Mercedes car better suited Antonelli’s driving style. MDT/AP