ANTONELLI TAKES THIRD STRAIGHT POLE IN MIAMI QUALIFYING
Kimi Antonelli delivered another impressive performance in qualifying in Miami, securing his third consecutive pole position. The young Mercedes driver showed strong pace throughout the session and confirmed his growing confidence.
Alongside him on the front row will be Max Verstappen, whose Red Bull appeared much more competitive than before. Charles Leclerc placed third for Ferrari, just missing out on a spot in the front row, while Lando Norris took fourth. George Russell finished ahead of Lewis Hamilton, who ended the session in sixth place.
The first part of qualifying brought early drama, especially for Audi. Gabriel Bortoleto initially could not leave the garage due to technical issues, only managing to get on track near the end of the session. Despite the late effort, he was eliminated and even had to stop the car because of a brake problem that caused flames at the rear.
At the front, Verstappen set a strong early pace, but Antonelli improved later on fresh tires and finished fastest in Q1. Leclerc also looked competitive, while Oscar Piastri only just managed to advance to Q2 after a very tight finish.
In Q2, the competition became even closer. Ferrari showed solid performance, with Hamilton briefly setting one of the top times. Antonelli remained quick, but Verstappen surprised everyone by taking the fastest time right at the end of the session.
The gaps between the leading teams were extremely small, with only a few tenths separating several drivers. Norris struggled more than expected and only just made it into the final part of qualifying.
The final session confirmed Antonelli’s dominance. In his first attempt, he was already significantly faster than the others, building a clear gap over Leclerc and the rest of the field. No one managed to beat his lap time, and he secured pole with a strong and clean performance.
Verstappen improved on his final run and moved into second place, showing clear progress from Red Bull. Leclerc stayed third, unable to improve his time, while Norris lined up next to him on the second row.
Behind them, Russell again finished ahead of his teammate Hamilton, continuing a solid weekend for the British driver. Piastri ended further back than expected, while the rest of the top ten included a mix of emerging and experienced drivers. Overall, the session highlighted how close the competition is at the front, but also confirmed Antonelli as one of the standout performers of the weekend.
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