Kimi Antonelli labelled qualifying for the Spanish Grand Prix "very intense" after Lando Norris 'snatched away' pole position from the Mercedes driver.
The young Italian came up just 11 milliseconds short of the reigning F1 drivers' champion at the Madring.
It looked like Antonelli had done enough, but with Norris one of the last drivers to take the chequered flag, he was denied in gut-wrenching fashion.
Despite missing out on top spot, it was a good grid-setting session for Antonelli, with his nearest championship rivals, Lewis Hamilton and Mercedes team-mate George Russell, only able to go fourth and sixth-quickest, respectively.
Track position will be critical in the 57-lap race, with overtaking opportunities hard to come by on the all-new 22-corner circuit in the Spanish capital.
"I thought it was a good lap, but then this guy [gesturing to Norris] just snatched it away," Antonelli said after hopping out of his W17. "So good job to them [McLaren].
"On my side, a very intense qualifying. Difficult to get the balance right with the track being so hot, but the lap was pretty clean."
Antonelli details 'quite tricky' experience
Reflecting on how challenging the conditions were, Antonelli was keen to turn his focus to the grand prix, as he looks to extend his advantage over Russell from the current 66-point margin.
"Obviously, it's not easy to put the things together on a track like this, which is quite tricky," the seven-time grand prix winner added.
"But overall, I think we did a good job, and now we'll try to see what we can do tomorrow."
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