Kimi Antonelli leads training ahead of Formula 1 qualifying in Malaysia

Kimi Antonelli gets serious. Before qualifying for the Formula 1 race in Malaysia, the 19-year-old Italian set the best time in training and distanced himself from the competition. Four-time world champion Max Verstappen was almost three tenths of a second slower than the world championship leader in the Mercedes. The Red Bull driver won the last race in the premier motorsport class in Sepang in 2017.

Verstappen's teammate Isack Hadjar came third in the one-hour session, over half a second behind. Antonelli's teammate and World Championship pursuer George Russell, who last won in Azerbaijan, followed in fourth place. In the ranking he is 66 points behind his stable rival. Nico Hülkenberg finished 15th in the Audi.

Bahrain Grand Prix in Malaysia

The race on Sunday (9:00 a.m. CEST/Sky) on the course near Kuala Lumpur was subsequently added to the calendar. It's officially about the Bahrain Grand Prix after the race there and in Saudi Arabia were canceled in April due to the Iran war. From 1999 to 2017, Malaysia was part of the racing program of the premier motorsport class.