Antonelli bounces back from bitter sprint race to claim Miami GP pole

TL;DR

Kimi Antonelli secured pole position for the Miami Grand Prix after a challenging sprint race. He clocked a time of 1:27.798, marking his third consecutive pole this season.

Key points

Kimi Antonelli is the championship leader.
Antonelli claimed pole position for the Miami Grand Prix.
He clocked a time of 1:27.798 seconds.
This is his third consecutive pole position this season.
He faced challenges during the sprint race.

Kimi AntonelliMiami Grand PrixMercedes

Championship leader Kimi Antonelli bounced back from a disappointing sprint race to claim pole position for Sunday's Formula One Miami Grand Prix.

The Mercedes driver clocked 1 minute 27.798 seconds in Saturday's qualifying session to claim a third consecutive pole position this season.

"It was a difficult start with the sprint when it didn't go our way but super happy with the recovery," he said.

"Hopefully a magic one happens tomorrow. It would be nice to not lose any positions but we will do our best. This weekend has been more difficult for us but we are keeping it together and maximizing the performance, so I'm happy with that."

Antonelli started the sprint in second but didn't get away particularly well and lost positions. He finished fourth, but was demoted to sixth after a penalty for excessive track limits breaches.

Four-time world champion Max Verstappen of Red Bull was 0.166 seconds behind the Italian in second, by far his best qualifying result this year. Charles Leclerc of Ferrari completed the top three.

"The car hasn't been great in the previous races, but also from my side I never felt comfortable with the layout of the car, and over the last few weeks the team has been pushing flat out to try to bring upgrades to the car and making me feel more comfortable with a lot of things," Verstappen said.

"And it really pays off, I feel more in control of the car again, and then I can push a bit more. To be on the front row is way better than I expected heading into this weekend."

Defending F1 champion and sprint winner Lando Norris was fourth, while George Russell in the other Mercedes had to settle for fifth.

Ferrari's Lewis Hamilton was sixth followed by the McLaren of Oscar Piastri and the Alpine of Franco Colapinto. Isack Hadjar of Red Bull and Pierre Gasly in the other Alpine completed the top 10.

Norris back on the podium

Earlier, Norris ended Mercedes' winning run as he took victory in the sprint race.

The defending F1 champion had a good start from pole position and cruised to the win after 19 laps. Team-mate Piastri was second and Leclerc was third.

"Nice to be back on the top step! A good day for us," Norris said after the sprint, which was the first time this season he finished on the podium.

"It was hot out there and sweaty. I was pushing, trying to find that balance of pushing and staying relaxed to not make mistakes. A good start to the weekend but now I've got to do it all over again."

Mercedes were dominating the season before the month-long break, winning all three races so far and also the sprint in China.

Tough day for Audi

F1 debutants Audi had a difficult day on the track. During the warm-up lap ahead of the sprint, Nico Hülkenberg's car erupted in flames and he didn't take part in the race.

Q&A

What time did Kimi Antonelli achieve for pole position at the Miami GP?

Kimi Antonelli achieved a time of 1 minute 27.798 seconds for pole position at the Miami Grand Prix.

How did Antonelli perform in the sprint race before qualifying?

Antonelli started the sprint in second place but finished fourth, later being demoted to sixth due to a penalty for excessive track limits.

How many consecutive pole positions has Antonelli claimed this season?

Antonelli has claimed three consecutive pole positions this season.

What did Antonelli say about his performance after the sprint race?

Antonelli expressed happiness with his recovery from the sprint race, stating he was super happy with maximizing performance despite the difficulties.