Miami GP qualifying: Kimi Antonelli on pole again ahead of Max Verstappen. Andrea Kimi Antonelli secures a record third consecutive pole position in Miami.

Antonelli makes it three in a row with dominant Miami pole

Andrea Kimi Antonelli continues to rewrite the record books. The young Italian driver produced another stunning performance in qualifying for the Miami Grand Prix, securing his third consecutive pole position and placing his name alongside legends such as Ayrton Senna and Michael Schumacher in the list of drivers capable of achieving such a feat.

With a remarkable 1:27.798 set on his very first attempt in Q3, Antonelli immediately laid down a benchmark that proved untouchable for the rest of the field. The Mercedes driver needed just one of his two runs to beat his rivals, once again confirming the Silver Arrows as the reference point over a single lap.

Antonelli was one of only two drivers to break the 1:28 barrier, the other being an outstanding Max Verstappen. The Dutchman delivered a superb second attempt, improving when others could not, and securing a crucial front-row start alongside the Italian. While Antonelli achieved his result with a W17 that featured no updates, the upgrades introduced on the RB22 helped Verstappen return to the sharp end of the grid.

Behind the leading duo came Ferrari, led once again by Charles Leclerc. The Monegasque driver confirmed his exceptional qualifying form by placing the SF-26 in third position, just three tenths behind Antonelli’s pole time. The front row slipped away by only 0.179 seconds, but the Scuderia appears firmly in contention to fight for key positions in the race.

The second row will be completed by the first of the McLarens, driven by Lando Norris. The MCL40 cars underperformed at the decisive moment of qualifying. After securing a one-two finish in the Sprint, McLaren failed to replicate that level of performance over a single lap, with Norris outside the top three and Oscar Piastri only seventh.

Between the two papaya cars are George Russell and Lewis Hamilton. The former teammates were outperformed by their current garage counterparts: Antonelli put four tenths between himself and Russell, while Leclerc was more than two tenths quicker than the seven-time world champion.

Alpine confirmed its status as the fifth-fastest team at this stage, placing both cars inside the top ten. Franco Colapinto delivered an excellent performance, finishing eighth and even edging teammate Pierre Gasly by 0.048 seconds. Splitting the two A526 machines was the second Red Bull of Isack Hadjar, who still appears to be struggling to fully adapt to the latest updates, unlike Verstappen. The gap between the two Red Bull drivers stood at eight tenths.

Nico Hulkenberg was the first driver eliminated in Q2. After missing the Sprint due to a clear power unit issue on his Audi, the German still managed to set the 11th fastest time, partially salvaging the team’s Saturday.

Just behind him was a solid Liam Lawson. Racing Bulls have struggled throughout the weekend, but the New Zealander managed to limit the damage, finishing ahead of the Haas cars of Oliver Bearman and Esteban Ocon — 13th and 15th respectively — as well as the Williams drivers Carlos Sainz and Alexander Albon.

The Spaniard qualified 14th, just one thousandth slower than Bearman, while Albon endured a more difficult session in 16th place. This highlights the ongoing struggles of the FW48, which is still carrying excess weight. The plan set by team principal James Vowles was to reduce the car’s weight within the first third of the season, but that objective now appears increasingly unlikely. As a result, Williams could risk losing Sainz, who is becoming one of the most sought-after drivers on the market.

While Liam Lawson managed to survive Q1, the same could not be said for Arvid Lindblad. The rookie, who had already missed the entire Sprint due to an issue with his VCARB03, was returned to the track thanks to the team’s efforts, but that was not enough to secure a strong starting position for Sunday’s race.

No surprises came from Cadillac and Aston Martin. Both teams were the slowest in the field, as widely expected, and will occupy the back rows of the grid. Fernando Alonso narrowly outqualified Lance Stroll by just 0.066 seconds, while the Cadillac cars were nearly one second slower than the AMR26. Sergio Perez, as expected, finished ahead of Valtteri Bottas.

At the very back of the grid will be the Audi R26 of Gabriel Bortoleto. The Brazilian attempted to set a time with just three minutes remaining despite a sensor issue, but his lap was far off the pace, meaning he will start from last place.

Starting grid for the Miami Grand Prix

All eyes now turn to race day, where changing weather conditions and a tightly packed field could open the door to strategic battles and potential surprises. Ferrari, starting from the second and third rows, will be aiming to challenge for a podium — or even victory — if the opportunity arises.