Piastri Just Misses Miami Sprint Pole to Antonelli
Miami Grand Prix – Sprint Qualifying Results
In a tightly contested qualifying session for the Miami Grand Prix sprint, Oscar Piastri fell just 0.045 seconds short of securing pole position, ultimately finishing second to Formula 1 rookie Andrea Kimi Antonelli. Antonelli’s quickest lap was clocked at 1:26.482 as he surged ahead of Max Verstappen’s earlier attempt in SQ3.
Piastri’s effort was hindered by a lock-up in the crucial final corner, Turn 17. Reflecting on his performance, the McLaren driver stated, "I had a lock-up into the last corner, which I think was probably where pole went away… P2 is still a good result; we can still fight from there in the sprint tomorrow."
Lando Norris followed closely behind Piastri, qualifying third, half a tenth off his teammate. Norris expressed satisfaction with his lap after previous inconsistencies, noting, "It felt good. I’m happy just to get a good lap in there. We’re in the ballpark for challenging for a grand prix pole."
Technical Breakdown and Insights
GPS data analysis confirms that Piastri and Antonelli were nearly matched throughout the lap. Piastri initially held a slight advantage before Antonelli regained time on the run to Turn 11, setting up the final sector showdown. While Piastri demonstrated superior handling in the low-speed corners, the critical error at Turn 17 allowed Antonelli to capitalize and secure the coveted pole.
Key Takeaways
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Qualifying Results:
- Pole Position: Andrea Kimi Antonelli (1:26.482)
- 2nd: Oscar Piastri
- 3rd: Lando Norris
- Quotes:
- Piastri: "A bit more pace to unlock, hopefully… I’ll be trying to make up a spot tomorrow."
- Norris: "Close enough that we can still try and aim for a pole tomorrow."
With competitive times and performance insights emerging from qualifying, anticipation builds for the sprint race, where both McLaren drivers aim to capitalize on their front-row starts.
