Kimi Antonelli delivered a flawless performance in the final qualifying session for the Miami Grand Prix, earning pole position ahead of a revitalised Max Verstappen and his Red Bull team. The Italian prodigy, who had previously been penalised for exceeding track limits during the Sprint race—where he finished sixth—rebounded spectacularly to dominate Q3 with a best lap of 1:27.798. This time set a high bar for his competitors, establishing a clear lead over the rest of the field.
The session was a tense affair, with each of the sport's "big four" manufacturers—Mercedes, Red Bull, Ferrari and McLaren—showing the potential to claim the top spot at various stages. Antonelli’s first attempt in Q3 proved decisive; despite a minor mistake at the start of his final run that prevented any improvement, his initial lap remained sufficient to keep him comfortably ahead.
Verstappen, driving the heavily upgraded Red Bull, could only manage a lap that was roughly two‑tenths slower, while Charles Leclerc in a similarly overhauled Ferrari finished about three‑tenths off the pace. George Russell, Antonelli’s teammate at Mercedes, struggled to match the young driver’s speed and qualified fifth, trailing the pole sitter by four‑tenths of a second. This result placed Antonelli alongside legendary figures such as Ayrton Senna and Michael Schumacher, as he now holds the first three pole positions of his career across three consecutive Grand Prix events.
Speaking after the session, Antonelli expressed his delight: "It’s been an amazing day to be on pole again. The Sprint didn’t go our way, but I’m super happy with the recovery.
I got a bit excited on the last lap in Q3, but the first lap was good enough and I’m really pleased with that." His confidence was evident, especially after the Sprint penalty had narrowed his championship lead over Russell to just seven points. The weekend also marked Verstappen’s return to form after a modest start to the season. The Dutch driver topped Q1 and Q2 before posting a final lap that placed him just 0.166 seconds shy of Antonelli’s pole time.
Verstappen praised the recent upgrades to his car, noting that the improvements had made the Red Bull far more drivable: "The team have brought a really good performance upgrade – it clicked as soon as I got in the car. Being on the front row is a surprise, but a massive boost for the whole team and a sign we’re heading in the right direction." McLaren, which had dominated the Sprint qualifying, experienced a reality check in the main session.
Both Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri posted slower times than they had recorded a day earlier. Norris attributed the drop‑off to changing conditions, such as wind direction and temperature variations, and emphasised that the team needed to analyse why the cars performed less well in the full qualifying format. He added, "Mercedes are just as quick as us, and when you look at the GPS data from Ferrari and Red Bull, there are many sectors where they are faster.
Qualifying was a reality check, but it also showed where we need to improve." Lewis Hamilton, who qualified sixth in the other Ferrari, positioned himself between Russell and Piastri. He was marginally closer to his teammate Charles Leclerc than during the Sprint qualifying, reflecting the significant set‑up changes he announced for his car. The remainder of the top ten mirrored Friday’s order, with Franco Colapinto securing eighth for Alpine, followed by Red Bull’s Isack Hadjar—who still trailed his teammate Verstappen by a substantial 0.8 seconds—and Pierre Gasly completing the top ten in the second Alpine entry.
Weather played a pivotal role in the weekend’s planning. While Miami’s sunshine had been relentless up to that point, forecasts warned of heavy rain and thunderstorms for Sunday. Race officials, in consultation with the FIA and the Grand Prix organisers, decided to move the race start three hours earlier—to 6 p.m.
UK time (1 p.m. local)—to avoid the anticipated downpour later in the afternoon.
The broader context of the weekend featured a significant technical arms race. After a five‑week hiatus caused by the cancellation of the Bahrain and Saudi Arabian rounds, eleven of the twelve teams introduced a suite of upgrades for the Miami circuit. These enhancements have narrowed the performance gap that existed early in the 2026 season, allowing McLaren, Ferrari and Red Bull to challenge Mercedes more effectively on pure speed. In summary, Antonelli’s pole position underscores his rapid ascent and the resurgence of Mercedes, while Verstappen’s strong showing signals Red Bull’s renewed competitiveness after a series of upgrades.
McLaren’s slip from Sprint dominance highlights the unpredictable nature of the sport, where changing track conditions and strategic set‑ups can quickly reshape the hierarchy. As the race approaches, fans can expect a tightly contested Grand Prix, with the weather adding an extra layer of uncertainty to what promises to be a thrilling finale to the Miami weekend.