Andrea Kimi Antonelli extended his qualifying hot streak by taking pole position for the 2026 Miami Grand Prix, clocking a 1m27.798s in a closely fought session. The Mercedes rookie’s benchmark on his first Q3 run proved decisive on Saturday evening in Miami.
Mercedes arrived under pressure after being soundly beaten by McLaren in the sprint, but the qualifying fight quickly narrowed to a three-way contest between Mercedes, Ferrari and Red Bull. Through all three segments the margins were tight, with the outcome decided on the final Q3 runs.
Antonelli’s initial flyer stood up despite a lock-up at Turn 1 that ended his hopes of improving on his second attempt. One by one, his rivals failed to find gains in the closing minutes, leaving the Italian’s opening effort out of reach.
Max Verstappen led the chase for Red Bull, missing pole by just 0.166s with a 1m27.964s. Charles Leclerc secured third for Ferrari in 1m28.143s, while sprint winner Lando Norris took fourth for McLaren on 1m28.183s. George Russell qualified fifth in the other Mercedes with a 1m28.197s, and Lewis Hamilton placed sixth for Ferrari on 1m28.319s.
Oscar Piastri was seventh for McLaren in 1m28.500s. Franco Colapinto delivered eighth for Alpine in his second-ever Q3 appearance, ahead of Red Bull’s Isack Hadjar in ninth and Alpine’s Pierre Gasly in 10th.
Antonelli’s pole is his third in a row in 2026, a sequence that sees him join Ayrton Senna and Michael Schumacher in taking the first three F1 poles of his career consecutively.
2026 F1 Miami Grand Prix — Full qualifying results:
1. Kimi Antonelli (Mercedes AMG Petronas F1 Team) - 1m27.798s
2. Max Verstappen (Oracle Red Bull Racing) - 1m27.964s
3. Charles Leclerc (Scuderia Ferrari HP) - 1m28.143s
4. Lando Norris (McLaren Mastercard F1 Team) - 1m28.183s
5. George Russell (Mercedes AMG Petronas F1 Team) - 1m28.197s
6. Lewis Hamilton (Scuderia Ferrari HP) - 1m28.319s
7. Oscar Piastri (McLaren Mastercard F1 Team) - 1m28.500s
8. Franco Colapinto (BWT Alpine F1 Team) - 1m28.762s
9. Isack Hadjar (Oracle Red Bull Racing) - 1m28.789s
10. Pierre Gasly (BWT Alpine F1 Team) - 1m28.810s
11. Nico Hulkenberg (Audi Revolut F1 Team) - 1m29.439s
12. Liam Lawson (Visa Cash App Racing Bulls F1 Team) - 1m29.499s
13. Oliver Bearman (TGR Haas F1 Team) - 1m29.567s
14. Carlos Sainz (Atlassian Williams F1 Team) - 1m29.568s
15. Esteban Ocon (TGR Haas F1 Team) - 1m29.772s
16. Alex Albon (Atlassian Williams F1 Team) - 1m29.946s
17. Arvid Lindblad (Visa Cash App Racing Bulls F1 Team) - 1m30.133s
18. Fernando Alonso (Aston Martin Aramco F1 Team) - 1m31.098s
19. Lance Stroll (Aston Martin Aramco F1 Team) - 1m31.164s
20. Valtteri Bottas (Cadillac F1 Team) - 1m31.629s
21. Sergio Perez (Cadillac F1 Team) - 1m31.967s
22. Gabriel Bortoleto (Audi Revolut F1 Team) - 1m33.737s
What to watch next: With Antonelli on pole and Verstappen close behind, strategy and track position will be pivotal on Sunday. Keep an eye on Norris from P4 after his sprint win, and on Russell as he looks to close the gap to his teammate in race trim.
Source: crash.net