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F1
Kimi Antonelli’s Third Consecutive Pole Pits Him Against Max Verstappen for First Time
TL;DR
Kimi Antonelli secured his third consecutive pole position for the Miami Grand Prix, lining up next to Max Verstappen for the first time. Antonelli joins legends Michael Schumacher and Ayrton Senna in achieving this milestone.
Key points
- Kimi Antonelli secured his third consecutive pole position
- He will race alongside Max Verstappen for the first time
- Antonelli joins Michael Schumacher and Ayrton Senna in achieving three poles in a row
- Max Verstappen had a strong performance in Q3
- Antonelli was excited about his qualifying performance
Kimi AntonelliMax VerstappenMiami Grand Prix
Antonelli and Verstappen Line Up on the Front Row for the First TimeCHARLY TRIBALLEAU - Getty Images
After topping the charts in Q1 and Q2, Max Verstappen had his best Q3 performance to secure a front row starting spot for the Miami Grand Prix next to Kimi Antonelli.
The Italian teenager secured pole for the third consecutive race; he joins the greats Michael Schumacher and Anton Senna as drivers who recorded their first three poles in a row.
"It's been an amazing day," Antonelli answered Martin Brundle after being handed the stat. "To be on pole again, you know, it was obviously a difficult start of the day with the sprint, where it didn't go our way, but I'm super happy with the recovery, and it was a good qualifying. Obviously, I got a little bit excited on the last lap of Q3, but the first lap was good enough."
Toto Wolff got on the radio to scold the young driver lightly, following his slip up at the end of his second Q3 lap that was well on it's way to improving on time of 1:27.798.
"Well done, mate," Wolff said, "Just need to curb the enthusiasm on that final lap."
"Yeah, just a little bit too excited," Antonelli replied.
"Kimi, Kimi, Kimi, well done."
The four-time champion and the youngest WDC points leader in history will battle to turn one, and Verstappen, in second, has the advantage of both experience and Antonelli’s history of bad starts.
Antonelli has lost spots on the start of all three grands prix and two sprints to start the season. The young driver in his second year in F1 will have to fight to stop the slide against the most aggressive front row starter on the grid.
Max Verstappen steller Q3 time that secured him his best starting position of 2026 came after the Red Bull driver topped the field in Q1 and Q2.
Ferrari's Charles Leclerc and McLaren's Lando Norris will start on the second row.
Antonelli was lights out quicker than his teammate George Russell in Q3, grabbing provisional pole with his first lap. Russell improved on his second lap through the first two sectors and then faded in the third sector to stay stuck in fifth.
Q&A
What is Kimi Antonelli's achievement in the Miami Grand Prix qualifying?
Kimi Antonelli achieved his third consecutive pole position in the Miami Grand Prix qualifying.
How does Kimi Antonelli's pole position compare to other F1 legends?
Antonelli joins Michael Schumacher and Ayrton Senna as the only drivers to record their first three poles in a row.
Who will Kimi Antonelli race against from the front row?
Kimi Antonelli will race against Max Verstappen, who secured the second position on the front row.
What did Kimi Antonelli say after securing pole position?
Antonelli expressed his happiness about the recovery after a difficult start and acknowledged the excitement of qualifying.