In a thrilling display at the Miami Grand Prix, Kimi Antonelli stunned everyone by clinching pole position in the Sprint race, outpacing championship leader Oscar Piastri.
The race unfolded with Antonelli, a rookie and a complete newcomer to the Miami circuit, putting in a remarkable performance by clocking an impressive 1:26.482 at the conclusion of SQ3. This placed him at the forefront, a mere 0.045 seconds ahead of McLaren’s Oscar Piastri, with Lando Norris coming in third.
An apparent strategic mistake by Mercedes and Red Bull seemed to swing fortune in Antonelli’s favor. Both teams dispatched their key drivers to the track earlier than their competitors in SQ3, which resulted in compromised results. Max Verstappen embarked on his cooldown cycle post his initial lap that clocked at 1:27.070, initially placing him in the lower top 10. Despite worn-out tires, Verstappen managed to record an improved second lap. Meanwhile, George Russell’s 1:26.791, faster than Verstappen’s first, was not enough; he retreated to the pits following his singular attempt and finished fifth.
Charles Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton, representing Ferrari, secured sixth and seventh places, respectively, with Leclerc finishing comfortably ahead of Hamilton. Williams demonstrated substantial strength during qualifying, with Alex Albon grabbing the eighth spot, followed by Racing Bull’s Isack Hadjar and Aston Martin’s Fernando Alonso.
The earlier qualifying sessions saw unexpected eliminations. Carlos Sainz’s error in SQ2, where he slid off the track at Turn 11, effectively ended his chances, much to his dismay. Joining him were Nico Hulkenberg, Esteban Ocon, Pierre Gasly, and Liam Lawson, who also failed to proceed further.
In the opening phase, a mishap with Alpine’s Jack Doohan, who was impeded by his teammate Pierre Gasly upon exiting the garage simultaneously, caused frustration. This blunder led to Doohan’s early exit alongside others like Lance Stroll and Yuki Tsunoda, who faced challenges of their own during their runs.
The Sprint qualifying in Miami was a captivating watch, marked by Kimi Antonelli’s exceptional performance and the strategic missteps of some top teams. As the drivers gear up for the main event, the anticipation to see if this exciting twist will influence the final race is palpable.
