Kimi Antonelli secured pole position for the Miami Grand Prix with a blistering 1:27.798, topping a tense qualifying session at the Miami International Autodrome. The Mercedes driver claimed his third consecutive pole, beating Red Bull’s Max Verstappen and Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc to lock out the first three spots on Saturday.
Antonelli was a constant presence near the top throughout the hour and, despite failing to improve on his final attempt, his earlier lap proved untouchable. Verstappen threatened to snatch it late with quick sector times but ultimately fell short by just over a tenth to take P2 in 1:27.964, with Leclerc third on 1:28.143.
McLaren’s Lando Norris recovered from a boost issue to secure P4 in 1:28.183, while team mate Oscar Piastri ended up seventh after both came perilously close to an early exit. George Russell took a frustrated P5 with a 1:28.197, ahead of Ferrari’s Lewis Hamilton in sixth.
Rounding out the top 10 were Franco Colapinto, Isack Hadjar and Pierre Gasly, continuing a strong showing from the midfield. The session tightened considerably in the final minutes as track evolution and changing wind made the margins razor-thin.
Nico Hulkenberg rebounded from a DNS in the Sprint to qualify P11 for Audi, ahead of Liam Lawson and Ollie Bearman. Bearman outpaced his Haas team mate, while Esteban Ocon took P15. Carlos Sainz slotted into P14, sandwiched between the Haas pair as the fight for Q3 spots intensified.
Both Williams drivers progressed to Q2, although Alex Albon’s effort left him P16, and he voiced frustration over the radio. Arvid Lindblad narrowly missed out on advancing, coming closest to eliminating Piastri, who had run all his Q1 laps on used soft tyres.
Lindblad qualified ahead of the Aston Martin duo of Fernando Alonso and Lance Stroll. At the back, Cadillac’s first home weekend proved challenging, with Valtteri Bottas P20 and Sergio Perez P21. Last on the grid was Audi’s Gabriel Bortoleto, who joined late, couldn’t match the pace and then suffered a brake fire that forced him to stop.
The opening phase set the tone. In sunny conditions complicated by a reported tailwind, most drivers opened on used softs. Verstappen’s early 1:29.099 set the benchmark, with Norris just 0.084s adrift and Antonelli soon slotting into P2. As the track gripped up, Lawson was first to bolt on fresh tyres and leapt up the order, while Russell rescued his session with a final-lap improvement from the drop zone.
The day followed a shuffled Sprint that showcased gains from McLaren and Ferrari, with Norris converting Sprint pole into victory, while Antonelli’s earlier five-second penalty dropped him to P6. Qualifying, however, swung back toward Mercedes as Antonelli delivered when it mattered.
The front of the grid suggests a strategic duel on Sunday: Antonelli aiming to convert a third straight pole, Verstappen alongside with race-day pace in hand, and Leclerc poised from P3. Behind them, Norris looks to turn McLaren’s Sprint form into a podium bid, while Russell and Hamilton will try to pressure the leaders from the third row.
What to watch next: whether Mercedes can maintain its edge over a longer stint, how McLaren and Ferrari’s recent upgrades translate in race trim, and if changing winds alter tyre management. Keep an eye on the rookies and midfielders who starred in qualifying—and on Bortoleto and Cadillac as they attempt to recover from the back in Miami’s demanding conditions.
Source: formula1.com