Italy can celebrate along with the Mercedes box after the Sprint Qualifying in Florida, as Kimi secured the top spot ahead of Oscar Piastri and Lando Norris. After qualifying, Kimi Antonelli revealed the technique he used, which helped him claim pole position for the Miami Sprint Race.
The 2025 season marks Kimi Antonelli’s first year in F1. Last year, the number 12 driver was in F2, a category that only races at certain tracks, mostly in Europe. Miami, like Suzuka and Shanghai, is a new circuit for the Bologna-born driver, but he managed to make the difference. Mercedes appeared to be in good form from the free practices, and in qualifying, Kimi Antonelli set a new track record with a time of 1:26.482.
The secret behind Kimi Antonelli’s pole
Drivers usually go out on Thursday for a track walk to study the layout. However, Kimi Antonelli did something a bit more unusual. During F1 weekends, celebrities and other paddock figures often have the chance to take laps on the track in a road car, accompanied by an F1 driver. That’s exactly what Mara Sangiorgio did, getting in the car with the Bologna driver.
This moment was very important for Kimi, as it allowed him to start understanding the track in real life, moving away from the simulator he had always used to learn Miami. The Bologna driver revealed that it was a very useful activity, and that whenever he gets the chance, he will try to replicate it.
“I think in every race where hot laps are possible, I’ll try to take a few laps. Even though it’s a road car, you can still get a feel for how the track flows, and even the racing lines you need to take. So, mentally, I found it much more useful than doing the track walk, for example. When you’re in the car, you’re traveling at a pretty high speed, so your mind also starts to get used to the track. So, I’m really happy I was able to do the hot laps because they definitely helped me.”
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