Max Verstappen took pole position for the Miami Grand Prix with a fast lap of 1:26.204 in Saturday’s qualifying session. The Red Bull driver was just 0.065 seconds quicker than McLaren’s Lando Norris.
Young Mercedes driver Kimi Antonelli also impressed, finishing third on the grid. The 18-year-old continues to turn heads in his first season in Formula 1.
It was another disappointing day for Lewis Hamilton, now driving for Ferrari. He was knocked out in Q2 and will start the race from 12th place.
Verstappen, who recently became a father, was pleased with his performance:
“It was a great qualifying. We improved the car bit by bit in each session and found the limit. I’m happy to be on pole.”
He added that race pace is still uncertain, especially with changing weather conditions.
Norris, who won the sprint race earlier in the day, was happy with his overall performance but slightly frustrated to miss out on pole:
“Max did a Max lap again. I can’t fault him. I’ve made good progress, but I still haven’t put everything together.”
He said he’s ready for either wet or dry conditions on race day.
Antonelli, who had taken pole for the sprint race earlier, became the youngest driver to start a Formula 1 sprint from the front. Though he only managed seventh in that race, he was positive about bouncing back:
“This weekend’s been good overall. This morning was a bit disappointing, but I’m glad to be back near the front.”
