Kimi Antonelli delivered a flawless performance in the final qualifying session at the Miami Grand Prix, earning pole position ahead of a rejuvenated Max Verstappen and a heavily upgraded Red Bull. The young Mercedes driver, who had only managed sixth place in the Sprint after receiving a track‑limits penalty, bounced back spectacularly to dominate Q3 with a lap time of 1:27.798.
This time set a clear benchmark for the rest of the field and underscored Antonelli's growing confidence on the circuit. The session was a tense affair, with each of the sport's traditional "big four" teams – Mercedes, Red Bull, Ferrari and McLaren – at one point looking capable of snatching the top spot. Antonelli’s first attempt in the decisive Q3 round was so strong that, despite a small mistake at the start of his second run that prevented him from improving the time, he still finished comfortably ahead of his rivals.
Verstappen, driving the newly refined Red Bull, posted a best lap that was roughly two‑tenths of a second slower, while Charles Leclerc in the overhauled Ferrari was about three‑tenths off the pace. George Russell, Antonelli’s teammate at Mercedes, could not match the pole‑sitter’s pace and qualified fifth, trailing by four‑tenths.
Russell’s result highlighted the widening gap between the two drivers, with Antonelli now joining the elite company of Ayrton Senna and Michael Schumacher as the only drivers to claim three consecutive pole positions at the start of their careers. After the session Antonelli said, "It’s been an amazing day to be on pole again. It was a difficult start with the Sprint when it didn’t go our way but I’m super happy with the recovery. I got a bit excited on the final lap in Q3, but the first lap was good enough and I’m really pleased with that." For the first time in this three‑race stretch, Verstappen will line up beside Antonelli on the front row.
The Dutchman has built on an already promising weekend, using the upgraded package to bring Red Bull back onto the front row for the first time in the 2026 season. Meanwhile, McLaren experienced a sobering "reality check" as the sprint polesitters and one‑two finishers slipped back to fourth on the grid, with Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri occupying the seventh and eighth positions respectively. Lewis Hamilton qualified sixth, sandwiched between Russell and Piastri, and was marginally closer to his Ferrari teammate Charles Leclerc than he had been in the Sprint qualifying. The top ten order largely mirrored Friday’s results, with Franco Colapinto securing eighth for Alpine, followed by Red Bull’s Isack Hadjar, whose gap to his teammate Verstappen widened to around 0.8 seconds, and Pierre Gasly completing the top ten in the second Alpine car.
Weather played a role in the weekend’s drama. While Miami had been bathed in scorching sunshine up to the qualifying day, forecasts warned of rain and possible thunderstorms for Sunday.
Race officials, after consulting with the FIA and the Grand Prix promoters, decided to move the start time forward by three hours to 6 p.m. UK time (1 p.m. local) to avoid the predicted heavy showers later in the afternoon. The starting grid, as announced after qualifying, was as follows: 1.
Kimi Antonelli (Mercedes) 2. Max Verstappen (Red Bull) 3. Charles Leclerc (Ferrari) 4. Lando Norris (McLaren) 5.
George Russell (Mercedes) 6. Lewis Hamilton (Ferrari) 7. Oscar Piastri (McLaren) 8.
Franco Colapinto (Alpine) 9. Isack Hadjar (Red Bull) 10. Pierre Gasly (Alpine) Since the cancellation of the Bahrain and Saudi Arabian rounds, the teams have had a five‑week hiatus, which they used to introduce a variety of upgrades.
The result has been a noticeable shift in the competitive balance: McLaren, Ferrari and Red Bull now appear capable of challenging Mercedes on outright speed, a stark contrast to the opening three rounds of the season where Mercedes held a clear advantage. During the sprint, McLaren had demonstrated its pace, but the full qualifying session revealed that the hierarchy was still fluid. Antonelli’s surge and Red Bull’s continued development suggested that the championship battle could become a multi‑team contest.
Verstappen, after a modest start in Q1, quickly rose to the top of Q2 and then posted a final lap only 0.166 seconds shy of Antonelli’s pole time. He reflected on the progress, stating, "It’s an incredible turnaround for us. I didn’t feel in control of the car until this weekend.
The team brought a very good performance upgrade that made the car much more driveable, and it clicked as soon as I got back in it. Being on the front row is a surprise but a massive boost for the whole team. We’re heading in the right direction." McLaren, on the other hand, admitted to a slight drop in performance compared with the sprint.
Norris explained, "There were little things – wind direction changed, temperatures were different. Both cars struggled a bit more than yesterday, and we need to understand why. It’s not that we did a bad job; the competition simply raised their level.
Mercedes are as quick as us, and when you look at the GPS data from Ferrari and Red Bull, they have many sectors faster. Qualifying was a reality check, but it also showed where we belong and where we need to improve." The weekend’s schedule includes a Formula 2 feature race at 2.25 p.m. on Sunday, followed by the main Grand Prix at 6 p.m., with post‑race analysis and reaction shows later in the evening.
Fans can watch the action live on Sky Sports F1 or stream via NOW, with flexible subscription options. The Miami Grand Prix promises to be a pivotal round in the 2026 season, potentially shaping the championship narrative as the top teams continue to refine their cars and battle for supremacy.