Lewis Hamilton has admitted Kimi Antonelli’s pace will be a major obstacle in his pursuit of victory at the British Grand Prix.
Hamilton qualified third on Saturday, with Antonelli and Charles Leclerc locking out the front row.
It marked a step back from Friday, when Hamilton secured sprint pole before being outpaced by Antonelli in the sprint race.
The seven-time world champion believes Antonelli’s speed over the shorter race distance provides a strong indication of what to expect in Sunday’s grand prix.
“We couldn't [beat Antonelli] this morning, so I don't think that really changes,” Hamilton told media including RacingNews365.
“He's just gone quicker than, way quicker than I went yesterday.
“So, nothing's changed between this morning and nothing will change between today and tomorrow.
“We'll do our best to hold on to them, but ultimately, if he gets a clean run, he'll be gone.”
Should Hamilton prevail on Sunday, it would be his 10th British Grand Prix win - marking the first time any driver has won that many times at the same event.
However, his task was made much more difficult by his second-row qualifying position.
When asked if he felt there was more potential in the car, Hamilton replied: “No, not particularly. I think in run two, actually my run two was pretty decent, but I lost my deployment.
“There was a problem with the deployment, basically, and I lost like three tenths down the back straight.
“But that got fixed towards the end. I just struggled more in this qualifying session with the car, a lot more understeer. But yeah, I'm still happy to be up here.”
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