Teen F1 leader Kimi Antonelli stormed to pole in Miami after a late push from Max Verstappen, setting up Sunday’s grid.
A single lap decided the mood at the Miami Grand Prix, with Kimi Antonelli hauling Mercedes onto pole after a qualifying session that barely cooled before the final runs.
Antonelli, the 19-year-old Italian leading the championship, produced a fastest lap of 1 minute 27.798 seconds to top the times, resisting a late surge from Red Bull’s Max Verstappen. Charles Leclerc ended up third in his Ferrari, rounding out the immediate front-running order.
It was a reminder that qualifying at Miami can swing on timing and temperature as much as it does on raw speed.
Lando Norris, who won earlier in the day, will start Sunday from fourth in his McLaren. Antonelli’s pole came after multiple strong runs through the session, and it marked his third pole overall and a third consecutive race to take pole, placing him among historic company in F1 records.
Russell finished fifth for Mercedes, with Lewis Hamilton sixth ahead of Oscar Piastri, who ended seventh in the second McLaren. Behind them, Franco Colapinto qualified eighth, putting him ahead of Isack Hadjar in the second Red Bull and Pierre Gasly in the other Alpine.
For drivers and teams, the difference between pole and the rest of the front row can be the difference between controlling the first laps and being forced to react.
Speaking after the session, Antonelli described the day as an emotional recovery, saying his first lap in Q3 was strong enough despite feeling the pressure while waiting for the final laps.. He also pointed to a moment where excitement crept in on the last lap, while still believing the result gives him a chance at a strong start.
Verstappen said he was disappointed with the grip during the session, even as he pushed hard in a heavily revised Red Bull. Leclerc, meanwhile, said he was close to the limit but felt his Ferrari lacked the speed to go higher, even after bringing a significant package to the race.
The session began in sweltering heat with a swirling wind, and lap times took time to settle before the leaders began to string together faster efforts.. As the qualifying format tightened, Norris and Verstappen set the early pace while Antonelli and the two Ferraris responded, leading to a dramatic final period where positions were reshuffled.
Now the focus shifts from qualifying drama to race-day execution, where pole is only the first step and the ability to convert it into points often defines the weekend.