Max Verstappen found a way to compliment Kimi Antonelli and take a dig at George Russell at the same time on Saturday. In F1's Monaco GP qualifying, Antonelli took an emotional pole position, while Mercedes teammate Russell could only manage sixth.

Verstappen's return to the front row was surprising as Red Bull found rhythm on the streets of the principality. The Top 3 qualifiers were the same drivers who finished on the podium at the last race in Canada - Kimi Antonelli, Max Verstappen, and Lewis Hamilton.

In a post-qualifying interview, the Red Bull driver took a subtle dig at his arch-rival George Russell's lack of performance, saying (via Autosport):

"Kimi is doing exactly what he needs to do, especially compared to his teammate. I think George will be scratching his head a little bit."

Verstappen missed pole by around only four-hundredths of a second, while Russell, who he has had fiery exchanges with in the past over on-track aggression, was around four-tenths slower than his 19-year-old Mercedes teammate.

For Russell, the qualifying result was bitter. The 28-year-old admitted that he was "bamboozled" by this sudden drop in performance compared to the start of the year, where he was first or second in any given session, be it practice, qualifying, or the race.

Kimi Antonelli has already won four of five races this season, and considering the lack of overtaking possibilities on the narrow Monaco GP circuit, all he and the Silver Arrows have to do to win a fifth is execute a clean race without driver or strategic errors.

Max Verstappen & Lewis Hamilton Give Sarcastic Advice to Kimi Antonelli

Kimi Antonelli stole the spotlight from all active F1 greats on Saturday. In the post-race press conference, he shared that he was "shaking" from the adrenaline of his final qualifying lap and the emotional high of securing pole on one of F1's most iconic circuits.

But there is one problem Mercedes has had this year, which is fumbling race starts. Though they make up for the lost places on the back of the car's raw pace, the narrow Monaco circuit will punish such mistakes.

In the post-qualifying press conference, a reporter asked Lewis Hamilton and Max Verstappen, both of whom have won at Monaco more than once, if they had any advice for the 19-year-old, specifically about the race start. Verstappen channeled his inner comedian and said:

"So, when the lights go out, you wait one second. That’s my advice!"

Hamilton joined the tomfoolery, asking for a bigger buffer since he starts the race in third, and said:

"Yeah, I’m one step behind, so (wait) two seconds."

The trio and the reporters laughed it out. But who will have the last laugh in the race on Sunday? That's the question. Let us know your pick in the comments.

Read more at Motor Culture!

Written by

Yash Kotak

Edited by

Yash Kotak