MIAMI GP – Kimi Antonelli takes a maiden pole in sprint qualifying, half a tenth faster than both McLaren’s
Kimi Antonelli has taken his maiden pole position after beating both McLarens by nearly half a tenth in sprint qualifying for the Miami Grand Prix. The Mercedes driver set a new track record a 26.482 on his final attempt putting himself ahead of Oscar Piastri and becoming the sport’s youngest pole-sitter.
Antonelli set his fastest time at the end of SQ3, showing Mercedes are coming into the mix following a quieter but consistent start to the opening quarter of the season. The Italian has looked quick all season as well as consistent in the opening races, but McLaren had looked once again the favourites.
He showed the first glimpse of why Mercedes chose him to replace Lewis Hamilton, and that belief in him has now paid off. The Italian had never driven before Friday, Antonelli uncorked a brilliant single lap in the decisive final run in SQ3, with him beating Sebastian Vettel’s record for youngest pole sitter by over two years.
He described his lap as “mighty”, and starting the sprint from pole gives him a big opportunity to convert it into a first win, given the power of clear air in F1. Antonelli had no experience of driving the Miami International Autodrome until practice earlier on Friday.
He said “I am over the moon, I did not expect it. I was feeling good in the car. I was able to improve lap by lap and find that consistency and that gap came all together. I am super happy with that. We will enjoy this moment, but I want to focus on tomorrow because I really want to try to repeat myself.”
Norris, who crashed in qualifying at the last race in Saudi Arabia, said: “Close qualifying. It felt good, happy just to get a good lap in there. Today’s performance was in a good ballpark, not good enough but shows how close it is and how quick the Mercedes are. Close enough that we can still aim for a pole tomorrow.”
Antonelli will be looking to follow in Vettel’s footsteps and Hamilton’s in North America by converting his pole into his maiden win. Piastri couldn’t find the pace but went over half a tenth faster than his teammate Lando Norris.
This weekend is shaping up once again to be about fine margins, while McLaren had looked strong and were comfortably ahead of Max Verstappen. The Dutchman, who became a father earlier in the week, was a tenth and a half behind Norris and never looked to be in the mix at the end of SQ3.
Verstappen was half a tenth faster than George Russell who took fifth, the second Mercedes three-tenths behind his teammate and was outqualified for the first time. The Dutchman missed Thursday as he was on paternity leave following the birth of his first daughter Lily.
Russell and Verstappen were the only drivers to run early, having the track to themselves at the start with Russell leading the Red Bull driver by almost three tenths. While the other eight drivers who made it through to SQ3 decided to do a single run at the end of the session.
Red Bull had hoped the new floor would have seen a step forwards, but it appears based on Friday’s running it hasn’t brought them any closer to McLaren. Russell, until sprint qualifying, had finished ahead of Antonelli in every competitive session, but his strategy of going out early on in the final part of qualifying.
The Englishman was a quarter of a tenth ahead of the two Ferrari’s, with Charles Leclerc going just over a tenth and a half faster than Hamilton. Hamilton had taken the first sprint pole and win in Shanghai six weeks ago, a high of what has been a tougher start to the season.
Alex Albon continued Williams’s strong start going eighth a tenth and a half behind Hamilton, his teammate Carlos Sainz looked to have the pace but was knocked out in SQ2, he failed to set a time after running wide at Turn Eleven. Isack Hadjar put his Racing Bull ninth, four tenths behind Albon as he went a quarter of a tenth faster than Fernando Alonso.
Nico Hulkenberg was fastest of those knocked out in SQ2, the Sauber missing out by just under eight hundredths on the final part of Sprint Qualifying. The German was nearly a quarter of a tenth faster than Esteban Ocon, who was just under a tenth faster than his former teammate Pierre Gasly.
Liam Lawson was slowest of those in SQ2 the New Zealander was two hundredths behind Gasly, while Carlos Sainz failed to set a time after he made a mistake on his final attempt.
Lance Stroll was fastest of those knocked out in SQ1, the Aston Martin driver missing out by just over a tenth. The Canadian going a tenth and a half faster than Jack Doohan. Yuki Tsunoda was eighteenth almost seven hundredths behind Doohan after both failed to get to the line before the chequered flag to start their final attempt.
The Japanese complained of being held up by a car coming out of the pits on his first lap, and he did not get around his warm-up lap in time to complete a second run.
Gaberiel Bortoleto was nineteenth as he was half a second ahead of Ollie Bearman, as they completed the field.