Max Verstappen bounced back from a Sprint race where he scored no points to secure pole position for Sunday`s Miami Grand Prix qualifying, once again outpacing McLaren`s Lando Norris.
The world champion, recently a father, repeated his strong Q3 performance seen in Suzuka and Jeddah, claiming his third pole of the season. This came shortly after a penalty for a collision with Kimi Antonelli following a Red Bull pit stop error left him pointless in Saturday`s Sprint race.
A wobble for McLaren driver Norris on the final lap at Turn 17, unsettling his car over the kerb, might have cost him the 0.065s deficit by which Verstappen secured pole.
Despite this, the British driver finished two positions ahead of his championship-leading teammate Oscar Piastri. Piastri dropped to fourth in the final moments after his Q3 lap was slower than his impressive Q2 performance.
Sprint polesitter Kimi Antonelli continued his impressive weekend, securing third place.
The Italian teenager rebounded from his Sprint race disappointment, where he finished seventh after starting from pole. He ended qualifying just 0.002s behind Norris in second and 0.067s off Verstappen`s pole time.
Antonelli outpaced his Mercedes teammate George Russell in both qualifying sessions this weekend. The more experienced Russell was again unhappy with his speed, finishing a tenth slower than Antonelli in fifth.
However, qualifying brought renewed disappointment for Ferrari, which struggled for pace.
Only hours after securing a top-three finish in the Sprint for the second time this season, Lewis Hamilton`s difficulties in single-lap qualifying reappeared. He qualified 12th, marking his first Q2 exit in his six races with Ferrari.
Charles Leclerc reached Q3 but could only manage the eighth-fastest time.
This placed Ferrari behind not only their main front-running competitors but also surprisingly behind Williams, whose drivers Carlos Sainz and Alex Albon secured impressive sixth and seventh positions.
Esteban Ocon put Haas into the top 10 with the ninth-fastest lap, ahead of Yuki Tsunoda in the second Red Bull. Tsunoda was significantly slower than Verstappen, finishing 0.739s adrift in 10th place.
Miami GP Qualifying: Top 10
| Driver | Team | Time |
|---|---|---|
| 1) Max Verstappen | Red Bull | 1:26.204 |
| 2) Lando Norris | McLaren | +0.065 |
| 3) Kimi Antonelli | Mercedes | +0.067 |
| 4) Oscar Piastri | McLaren | +0.171 |
| 5) George Russell | Mercedes | +0.181 |
| 6) Carlos Sainz | Williams | +0.365 |
| 7) Alex Albon | Williams | +0.478 |
| 8) Charles Leclerc | Ferrari | +0.550 |
| 9) Esteban Ocon | Haas | +0.620 |
| 10) Yuki Tsunoda | Red Bull | +0.739 |
| Knocked out in Q2 | ||
| 11) Isack Hadjar | Racing Bulls | 1:26.987 |
| 12) Lewis Hamilton | Ferrari | 1:27.006 |
| 13) Gabriel Bortoleto | Sauber | 1:27.151 |
| 14) Jack Doohan | Alpine | 1:27.186 |
| 15) Liam Lawson | Racing Bulls | 1:27.363 |
| Knocked out in Q1 | ||
| 16) Nico Hulkenberg | Sauber | 1:27.473 |
| 17) Fernando Alonso | Aston Martin | 1:27.604 |
| 18) Pierre Gasly | Williams | 1:27.710 |
| 19) Lance Stroll | Aston Martin | 1:27.830 |
| 20) Oliver Bearman | Haas | 1:27.999 |
Verstappen Secures Pole with a Signature Lap
Although the earlier rain-affected Sprint didn`t go according to plan, the four-time champion looked like a contender for the front row from the start of qualifying, challenging the quick McLarens.
Verstappen topped Q1 but was only fifth fastest in Q2, 0.374s behind Piastri`s strong time. However, he improved by 0.4s on his first Q3 run to take provisional pole.
A moment of oversteer at Turn One on his final attempt seemed to jeopardize Verstappen`s chances of improving, but he still managed a 0.288s faster lap (1:26.204 total), a time unreachable by Norris or Piastri.
“Congrats to Max, especially being a dad now. I was hoping it would slow him down!” Norris joked after qualifying.
He added, “Max delivered a typical `Max lap` again, and I can`t criticize him. I`m pleased and looking forward to tomorrow.”
Reflecting on a “great qualifying” after refining his Red Bull`s setup post-Sprint, Verstappen commented, “I had a small moment at Turn One on my final lap, which cost me a little time. Tire management over a full lap is tricky here. But it worked out in the end, so I`m very happy to be on pole.”
He explained, “You could lift off, but it`s qualifying, so you have to try and correct it and push through the corner.”
