Kimi Antonelli claimed his third consecutive pole position on Saturday, May 2, with Max Verstappen joining the Mercedes prodigy on the front row in Miami. The Spanish drivers failed to advance to Q3.
The 19-year-old Italian continues to showcase his talent and will aim for his third win of the season to solidify his lead in the Formula 1 World Championship. However, he faces a tough challenge at the start, with Verstappen returning to top form alongside him.
“It was a difficult start to the day with the sprint, where things didn’t go our way. But I’m happy with qualifying. I was really stressed, to be honest, waiting for everyone to finish their laps, but it was good enough,” Antonelli said.
Charles Leclerc, who finished third in the sprint race, will start in the same position for the main event, sharing the second row with sprint winner Lando Norris.
A stormy Sunday is expected in Miami, meaning the final result could bear little resemblance to the starting grid. That’s what Carlos Sainz and Fernando Alonso, among others, are hoping for. The Williams driver made it into Q2 again, showing good progress with the car, though still far from the front. He will start 14th, 1.7 seconds off the pole-sitter.
Meanwhile, Aston Martin’s Alonso nearly pulled off another miracle but ultimately had to accept elimination in the first round of qualifying. He will line up 18th, more than three seconds behind the leader, but again outperforming his teammate Stroll.
Among South American drivers, Colapinto once again made it into the top group and will start eighth with strong momentum. Checo Pérez qualified second-to-last, while Bortoleto, struggling with his Audi, finished last.
