Miami Sprint Qualifying: Antonelli Shines with Historic Pole Position
In an electrifying conclusion to Friday’s qualifying session for the Miami Sprint, Mercedes driver Andrea Kimi Antonelli secured pole position with a record-setting time of 1:26.482, making him the youngest driver to achieve this feat in any race format at just 18 years and 250 days old.
Antonelli’s standout lap came during SQ3, where he eclipsed provisional pole sitter Max Verstappen and his teammate George Russell. Despite both McLaren drivers, Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri, being positioned to challenge, they fell short, with Norris finishing 0.1 seconds behind Antonelli after being the first to cross the line.
Piastri, the current championship leader, made a strong push but ended up 0.045 seconds off the pole time due to a slower final sector, concluding the session in second place. “It was a very intense qualifying,” Antonelli remarked. “I felt really good since this morning… The last lap was mighty. I’m really happy to get the first [sprint] pole.”
Starting positions were notable: Antonelli led with Piastri and Norris closely following, while Verstappen set the fourth-fastest time. Russell struggled, committing early to set a lap that ultimately placed him 0.309 seconds behind Antonelli, finishing in fifth.
Further down the order, Charles Leclerc recorded the sixth-fastest time, trailed by Lewis Hamilton in seventh. Williams’ Alex Albon took eighth, while Red Bull’s Isack Hadjar and Fernando Alonso marked Aston Martin’s first top-10 appearance of the season.
A series of challenges plagued drivers outside the top 10, with Nico Hulkenberg narrowly missing out, finishing 11th. Esteban Ocon and Pierre Gasly struggled, with Gasly hitting the barrier and finishing 13th. Liam Lawson ended up 14th after understeering. Meanwhile, team communications allowed Tsunoda and his fellow drivers to miss crucial lap opportunities.
Frustration was expressed by Doohan after a team error forced him into an unfortunate position during his qualifying run. “That’s not acceptable,” he stated over team radio regarding the timing of teammate Gasly’s release.
With Antonelli’s performance setting the stage, anticipation builds for Saturday’s sprint, where the young driver looks to capitalize on his front-row starting position.
