Verstappen dominates in Miami sprint qualifying
Max Verstappen will lead the grid for the Sprint race in Miami, following a commanding performance in Friday's Sprint Qualifying. Despite a promising early challenge from McLaren, Verstappen clinched pole with a blistering lap time of 1m 27.641s.
Every driver opted for a single flying lap in SQ3, and it was Verstappen who outpaced the field. Charles Leclerc will join him on the front row, missing out on pole by just 0.108s. Sergio Perez will start third, while Daniel Ricciardo impressively secured fourth in the RB, ahead of Ferrari's Carlos Sainz, who claimed fifth.
McLaren's initial pace seemed to falter in SQ3 despite strong earlier showings. Oscar Piastri managed P6, while Lando Norris had to settle for P9. Aston Martin's Lance Stroll and Fernando Alonso took P7 and P8 respectively, sandwiching the McLaren drivers. Nico Hulkenberg in the Haas completed the top ten.
Mercedes had a disappointing session as both drivers exited in SQ2. George Russell will start in P11 and Lewis Hamilton, who also noted a pit lane infringement, will start in P12.
Read next ❯ Ferrari to reveal Hamilton's debut F1 car on February 19 at MaranelloEsteban Ocon leads Alpine in 13th, ahead of Kevin Magnussen’s Haas in 14th. Yuki Tsunoda, in the other RB, ended the session in 15th, outqualified once again by teammate Ricciardo.
Qualifying woes continue for Pierre Gasly, who will start from P16, ahead of Kick Sauber’s Zhou Guanyu and Valtteri Bottas in P17 and P18 respectively. Williams' Logan Sargeant had a tough home session, finishing 19th, while teammate Alex Albon will start last after a time deletion dropped him from 16th to 20th.
Max Verstappen's pole sets the stage for an exciting Miami Sprint, as teams and drivers are eager to convert their positions into crucial points.
