Formula 1 world championship leader Kimi Antonelli says he needs to "do a much better job" after an "unnecessary" qualifying crash in Baku left him 16th on the grid. Antonelli made an unforced error in Q1 when he tagged the inside wall in Turn 1 left-hander to start his second flying lap, sustaining terminal suspension damage that forced him to park his Mercedes W17.

Antonelli's first lap had already qualified him for Q2, but with the Italian unable to take part, he is facing a comeback in the Azerbaijan Grand Prix on Saturday from 16th on the grid. To add insult to injury, Mercedes proved the class of the field in Baku as team-mate George Russell demolished the competition to take pole by eight tenths, meaning Antonelli likely cost himself a front-row start.

"It was just a misjudgement with the grip changing so much," Antonelli explained. "An unnecessary one in Q1, and it's a very good reminder that like this, things don't go my way, so I need to do a much better job." With Antonelli missing a large chunk of Thursday practice due to a hydraulic issue, the 20-year-old had already been on the back foot all weekend.

The last time Antonelli started from the rear of the grid, the Italian put in a drive for the ages with a spectacular comeback to win the Italian GP in Monza. But while Baku's 6km street circuit also offers overtaking potential on its long straight, Antonelli cautioned a Monza repeat would be much more difficult to pull off. "A good start, stay out of trouble, and then try to set a really good pace," Antonelli summed up his Saturday plans.