Mercedes’ Kimi Antonelli earned his third consecutive pole by edging Red Bull’s Max Verstappen and Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc during Saturday’s session ahead of the Miami Grand Prix.
Antonelli, who leads the drivers’ standings, posted a time of 1 minute, 27.798 seconds that held up even though the 19-year-old Italian was unable to improve upon the time on his final lap at the Miami International Autodrome. Verstappen threatened but ultimately finished a little more than a tenth of a second behind.
Reigning world champion Lando Norris will start fourth for McLaren, followed by Antonelli’s teammate George Russell.
With Sunday’s forecast calling for heavy thunderstorms and rain, Formula 1 moved the start of the race up three hours from 4 p.m. ET to 1 p.m. following discussions with the FIA.
“This decision has been taken to ensure the least amount of disruption to the race, and to ensure the maximum possible window to complete the Grand Prix in the best conditions and to prioritize the safety of drivers, fans, teams and staff,” read a statement by the FIA, Formula 1 and the Miami Grand Prix.
Even with the new start time, weather could prove to be a significant factor in the 57-lap race. According to F1 rules, a race can have a maximum active run time of two hours, and Sunday’s race could see multiple start and stops.
The Miami GP follows a lengthy break in the schedule with races in Bahrain and Saudi Arabia canceled due to the war in the Middle East. It also saw several teams introduce significant upgrades as they continue to adjust to the 2026 regulations.
Verstappen qualified and finished fifth in Saturday’s Sprint and has shown increasing pace throughout the week.
“I think over those last few weeks the team has been pushing flat-out to try and bring upgrades to the car, and making me feel more comfortable with a lot of things in the car,” Verstappen said.
“It really pays off. I feel more in control of the car again, then I can push a bit more, then the upgrades are working. To be on the front row is way better than I expected heading into the weekend.”
Verstappen said his first priority is to get off to a good start on Sunday, hopefully before weather impacts the race.
“We’ll try to have a look at that, for sure, and see what the weather will do tomorrow, but I’m already very happy with where we are,” Verstappen said. “From here there’s like light at the end of the tunnel, and we can just push on and try to close the gap further.”
He’ll have to find a way past Antonelli, who rebounded from a poor start and a time penalty during the Sprint to earn the pole for Sunday’s race.
“I’m super happy with the recovery,” Antonelli said. “This weekend has obviously been a little bit more difficult for us, but we’re keeping all this together and we’re maximizing the performance.”
–Field Level Media
