Verstappen secures Miami GP pole: Norris and Antonelli shine in career-best qualifying
Max Verstappen Claims Pole Position for Miami Grand Prix
Max Verstappen showcased his championship-winning form in a thrilling display to claim pole position for the Miami Grand Prix. Despite a slight misstep on his final flying lap, the reigning world champion topped the timing sheets, edging out McLaren’s Lando Norris and Mercedes rookie Kimi Antonelli in an action-packed Qualifying session.
Thrilling Qualifying Battle
After securing provisional pole early in Q3 with a razor-thin margin of just 0.003 seconds ahead of Norris, Verstappen had fans on edge during his final attempt. A wobble at Turn 1 momentarily threatened his run, but the Dutchman regrouped and delivered a blistering lap of 1m 26.204s to lock in pole. Norris, who crossed the line six-hundredths of a second slower, apologized to his McLaren team over the radio for taking too much curb on his final push lap.
Antonelli’s P3 finish added another milestone to his impressive debut season. The Mercedes rookie, fresh off his pole position from Friday’s Sprint, continues to earn accolades for his poise and raw speed. "This is a huge step for me, and I’m thrilled with the progress we’ve made this weekend," Antonelli said after the session.
Strong Performances Across the Grid
Another strong showing from McLaren saw Oscar Piastri secure fourth, narrowly ahead of Mercedes’ George Russell in fifth. Meanwhile, the Williams duo of Carlos Sainz and Alex Albon delivered a solid performance with sixth and seventh, respectively. Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc overcame his pre-Sprint crash to grab eighth, while Esteban Ocon made Haas fans proud with a ninth-place finish in his first Q3 appearance for the American team. Red Bull’s Yuki Tsunoda rounded out the top 10.
Surprises and Struggles
One of the day’s biggest surprises came as Lewis Hamilton failed to advance past Q2, ending the session in 12th. The seven-time World Champion, driving for Ferrari this season, struggled to extract pace and found himself behind Racing Bulls’ Isack Hadjar, who took an impressive 11th.
Kick Sauber’s Gabriel Bortoleto, despite delivering his best F1 Qualifying result to date, exited in 13th, while Alpine’s Jack Doohan and Racing Bulls’ Liam Lawson finished 14th and 15th, respectively.
The battle for Q1 survival saw Nico Hulkenberg narrowly miss out, placing 16th for Kick Sauber. Fernando Alonso continued his tumultuous weekend in 17th after earlier crashing in the Sprint, while his Aston Martin teammate Lance Stroll finished a lowly 19th. Alpine’s Pierre Gasly endured a shocking elimination in 18th, getting outqualified by teammate Jack Doohan for the first time this season. Haas rookie Ollie Bearman struggled for pace and rounded out the field in 20th.
Anticipating the Miami Grand Prix
With Verstappen leading the charge and McLaren’s Norris and Mercedes’ Antonelli pushing boundaries in their best grid positions this year, the stage is set for an electrifying race in Miami. All eyes will be on the midfield battles as well, as drivers like Hamilton and Alonso hope to recover lost ground on Sunday. Will Verstappen convert his pole into another dominant victory, or can the rising stars upset the reigning champion? The answer awaits under the Florida sun.
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