Kimi Antonelli takes pole position for Miami F1 Grand Prix

Yahoo Sports2h ago41 min readOriginal source →

TL;DR

Kimi Antonelli secured pole position for the Miami F1 Grand Prix, edging Max Verstappen by 0.166 seconds. This marks Antonelli's third consecutive pole, with a fast lap time of 1:27.798.

Key points

Kimi Antonelli claimed pole position for the Miami Grand Prix
He edged Max Verstappen by 0.166 seconds
Antonelli's fastest lap time was 1:27.798
This is Antonelli's third consecutive pole position
He recovered from a penalty in Saturday's Sprint Race

Mentioned in this story

Miami International Autodrome

Kimi AntonelliMax VerstappenMercedesRed Bull Racing

MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. – If Sunday’s Formula 1 Crypto.com Grand Prix of Miami is nearly as competitive as Saturday’s qualifying session for the race, South Florida fans are in for a high-speed treat.

Reigning F1 championship leader, 19-year old Italian Kimi Antonelli claimed pole position for Sunday’s race, his Mercedes edging Red Bull Racing’s Max Verstappen by a slight .166-second to earn his third consecutive pole. Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc was third fastest.

“It’s been an amazing day to be on pole again,’’ said Antonelli who set fast lap time of 1:27.798 on his first attempt in the final session around the 3.363-mile, 19-turn Miami International Autodrome.

“Super happy with the recovery,’’ he noted after a penalty in Saturday’s Sprint Race dropped him from fourth to sixth place in those standing. "It was a good quali. Obviously got a little bit too excited on last lap of Q3, but the first lap was good enough. Really happy with that.

“Hopefully the magic one [start] will happen tomorrow – it would be nice to not lose any positions, but we will do our best,’’ Antonelli added with a grin.

The two-time Miami race winner Verstappen turned in a flying lap in the closing minute of the 12-minute final session - his attempt to unseat the young Italian missing by that fraction of a second. However that front row start is a welcome shift in competitive spirit for the four-time world champion, who has yet to earn a top-five finish through three grand prix starts in the early portion of the 2026 season.

Formula One F1 - Miami Grand Prix - Miami International Autodrome, Miami, Florida, United States - May 1, 2026 Former tennis player Serena Williams ahead of practice REUTERS/Brian Snyder

Formula One F1 - Miami Grand Prix - Miami International Autodrome, Miami, Florida, United States - May 1, 2026 Jimmy Fallon with Red Bull's Max Verstappen ahead of practice REUTERS/Brian Snyder