Mercedes rookie Kimi Antonelli etched his name into the Formula 1 record books by becoming the youngest ever driver to secure a pole position, topping qualifying for the sprint race at the Miami Grand Prix. The 18-year-old Italian delivered a sensational lap to edge McLaren’s Oscar Piastri by just 0.045 seconds, with Lando Norris third and Red Bull’s Max Verstappen fourth — less than a tenth separating the top four.
Antonelli’s lap was not only a milestone for his career but also marked the first time this season he has out-qualified team-mate George Russell, finishing 0.309 seconds ahead of the Briton, who took fifth. It was a breakthrough performance that validated Mercedes’ bold decision to promote him to replace Lewis Hamilton this year.
“I’m over the moon. I didn’t expect it,” Antonelli said after stepping from the car. “I kept improving lap by lap and it all came together. I’m super happy with that — but now I want to focus on tomorrow to try to repeat it.”
Celebrations in the Mercedes garage were jubilant, with Antonelli sharing an emotional embrace with his father Marco, whom he credited as a constant support. “It’s so important to share this with him. He’s like a rock for me,” Antonelli added.
His previous best grid slot had been fifth, making the Miami result a clear sign of his rapid progress. Starting from pole gives him a prime opportunity to target a maiden Formula 1 victory in the sprint, with clean air proving valuable on the tight Miami street circuit.
Piastri, who leads Norris by 10 points in the standings heading into this weekend, rued a lock-up at the final corner on his last lap which likely cost him pole. “It was close — just not quite enough,” Piastri reflected. Norris, relieved to deliver a clean session after his crash in Saudi Arabia, was content with third, noting the growing competitiveness of Mercedes.
Verstappen, arriving late in Miami after the birth of his first child, struggled with understeer throughout qualifying, despite Red Bull introducing a new floor this weekend. “We’re lacking grip in the low-speed corners,” Verstappen admitted. “P4 is decent considering the limitations.”
Russell, who attempted an aggressive two-run strategy in the final session, couldn’t improve on his second lap and admitted confidence had been an issue. “Massive congrats to Kimi — he’s been quick all day. P5 isn’t great for me, but amazing for him and the team,” Russell said.
Behind Russell, Charles Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton lined up sixth and seventh, with Hamilton showing improvement after a string of disappointing races. “It’s better, but we’re still lacking speed,” Hamilton acknowledged.
Alex Albon impressed to take eighth for Williams, followed by Racing Bulls’ Isack Hadjar and Aston Martin’s Fernando Alonso — the Spaniard securing just his team’s second top-ten grid slot of the year.
Carlos Sainz will start 15th after a mistake in Q2, while Yuki Tsunoda starts 18th after being blocked by traffic on his out lap and failing to get a second timed run.
With the sprint race ahead, all eyes will be on Antonelli to see if the teenager can convert his historic pole into a first F1 victory.
