Kimi Antonelli beats Max Verstappen to claim Miami Grand Prix pole
- Kimi Antonelli put his Mercedes on pole for the Miami Grand Prix on Saturday, beating Max Verstappen and giving the 19-year-old another huge F1 milestone. (formula1.com) - The key number was 1:27.798 — fast enough to beat Verstappen by 0.166 seconds, with Charles Leclerc third and Lando Norris fourth. (formula1.com) - It matters because Miami turned into a momentum swing — Norris won the sprint, but Antonelli still grabbed the main-event advantage before Sunday. (formula1.com)
Formula 1 in Miami turned into two separate stories in one day. Lando Norris gave McLaren the sprint win on Saturday, but the bigger headline for Sunday’s race is Kim(formula1.com) keeps stacking results that make him look less like a future star and more like a present one. Sunday’s race was also moved from 4 p.m. to 1 p.m. local time because of heavier storms expected later in the day, so the whole weekend suddenly got even more chaotic. (formula1.com) ### Why is Antonelli’s pole suc(formula1.com)that nobody could beat. Verstappen got close, but not close enough, and Leclerc ended up third. For a teenager in a Mercedes, beating Verstappen straight up over one lap is the kind of result that changes how the paddock talks about you. (formula1.com) ### How close was it? Close enough to feel tense, but not so close that the timing screen looked random. Antonelli’s margin over Verstappen was 0.166 seconds, which in modern F1 qualifying is a proper (formula1.com)nto pole. (formula1.com) ### What happened to McLaren? McLaren still had a very good Saturday — just split across two sessions. Norris won the sprint ahead of teammate Oscar Piastri, giving the team a 1-2 and its first win of the 2026 season in that format. But qualifyin(formula1.com)ight. (formula1.com) ### Why does the weather matter so much? Because Miami in May can turn a race weekend upside down fast. F1, the FIA, and the local promoter moved the Grand Prix start three hours earlier — from 1600 to 130(formula1.com)cs, and the window in which strategy calls have to be made. (formula1.com) ### Does the earlier start change the race itself? Potentially, yes. The whole point of the move was to stay ahead of the worst weather, but Miami forecasts are slippery, and even a s(formula1.com)inal time slot, and more reason to stay flexible. That uncertainty probably helps opportunists like Verstappen — but it also raises the value of Antonelli starting first. (formula1.com) ### So what should you watch on Sunday? Watch the start, basically. Antonelli has the(formula1.com)Norris has the long-run pace he showed in the sprint, he could turn this into a three-team fight very quickly. (formula1.com) ### What’s the real takeaway? Miami made the 2026 title picture feel wider, not narrower. Norris reminded everyone McLaren can still win. Verstappen showed Red Bull is still dangerous. But Antonelli left Saturday with the biggest prize — pole for the Grand Prix, earned on pace, right when the pressure was highest. (formula1.com)
