Miami GP: Kimi Antonelli becomes youngest F1 polesitter after beating Oscar Piastri, Lando Norris in Sprint Qualifying
Italian rookie Kimi Antonelli, Lewis Hamilton's Mercedes replacement, is first teenager to claim an F1 pole; Title leader Oscar Piastri second ahead of Lando Norris; watch the Sprint at 5pm on Saturday live on Sky Sports F1, build-up from 4pm. Grand Prix qualifying at 9pm
Saturday 3 May 2025 04:44, UK
Mercedes' teenage rookie Kimi Antonelli claimed a shock but stunning maiden pole position in Formula 1 for the Miami GP Sprint.
The 18-year-old has replaced Lewis Hamilton at Mercedes this year following the seven-time champion's move to Ferrari and is competing in just his sixth grand prix weekend.
Debuting on a Miami street track he had never driven before Friday, Antonelli uncorked a brilliant single lap in the decisive SQ3 phase of Sprint Qualifying to beat world championship leader Oscar Piastri to the head of Saturday's 5pm Sprint grid by 0.045s.
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The Italian is the youngest-ever driver to claim a pole position for either of F1's qualifying formats, beating the record held by Sebastian Vettel since 2008 by more than two years.
"Tremendous. What an effort from such a young driver," said Sky Sports F1's Martin Brundle.
"He has no experience of Miami other than on the simulator and has gone out and smashed a lap in. That's an outstanding effort."
Antonelli, who has been on Mercedes' books since 2019, was personally congratulated by a number of drivers in parc ferme after qualifying and admitted: "I did not see that coming. I felt the lap was good and I was happy with it.
"There were still a few bits I could have done better but I was super happy with how I put all the sectors together."
Although beaten to pole for Saturday's 19-lap race, Piastri was still ahead of McLaren team-mate Lando Norris, with Max Verstappen fourth for Red Bull on his return to the track after the birth of his first child, daughter Lily.
But there was disappointment for George Russell in the second Mercedes, who could only manage fifth.
Russell had qualified and finished ahead of his new young team-mate in every competitive session so far this season up to Friday but ended up 0.309s adrift of Antonelli this time after his strategy of going out early onto the track in SQ3 did not pay dividends.
Ferrari pair Charles Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton were not in the pole mix and finished sixth and seventh respectively, the latter at least slightly closer to his team-mate than he has been at recent events at just 0.2s back.
Hamilton took the year's first Sprint pole in China six weeks ago but had struggled in the SF-25 since going on to win that short-form race.
Alex Albon capped a competitive day for Williams in eighth, although Carlos Sainz dropped out in SQ2 in the second car after running wide at Turn 11. Isack Hadjar was ninth for Racing Bulls with Fernando Alonso returning to the top 10 for Aston Martin in 10th.
Sprint Qualifying, however, proved frustrating for Yuki Tsunoda after his session ended in SQ1 in the second Red Bull.
The Japanese driver had put himself under pressure with an error at the end of his opening timed lap and eventually dropped out in 18th place when traffic and what he said was poor communication with the team then hindered his second attempt.
Antonelli makes his first big statement in F1
Although it had been the more-experienced Russell who had delivered all of Mercedes' headline-grabbing results so far this season, Antonelli had made a quietly assured start to his F1 career with top-six finishes in four of his first five grands prix and no major errors.
But his season - and nascent career at the top level - truly took off around the Miami International Autodrome on Friday.
Showing early promise in the weekend's only practice session earlier on Friday, Antonelli was at the sharp end of the timesheet from the start of Sprint Qualifying, finishing second-fastest to Russell in SQ1 and then fourth ahead of his team-mate in SQ2.
He then brilliantly upstaged the three drivers at the top of the world championship standings - Piastri, Norris and Verstappen - with a brilliant flying lap of 1:26.482 in the crucial final stage. The Italian described his final attempt as "mighty"
"Every weekend I learn massively," said Antonelli. "Last week, having a break really helped me to gather information and process it all and recharging the batteries, it was really good.
"The whole qualifying I felt I was able to make a step lap by lap. I'm much more aware of how to do a consistent warm-up and extract more out of the tyres but there's a lot to improve.
"Every weekend I get more confident with the car, can play with it more and explore the limits. At the same time, I can understand more from the set-up and give much better feedback which allows the team to improve the car."
Congratulated by a number of the sport's leading drivers in parc ferme, Antonelli also celebrated with his delighted father, Marco.
Although Piastri felt pole would have been his but for a small error into the final corner, the championship leader was satisfied to still be on the front row.
"I had a lock up into the last corner, which is probably where pole went away but P2 is still a good result," he said.
"We can still fight from there in the Sprint. All in all pretty happy."
Norris too, who has targeted improving his qualifying after several costly mistakes so far this season, added: "Happy just to get a good lap in there. It was close, so there's not much more I could ask for.
"I'm concentrating on this weekend and today's performance, which was I think in a good ballpark. Obviously, not good enough, but it shows how close it is, shows how quick the Mercedes are."
Sky Sports F1's Miami GP schedule
Saturday May 3
- 3.20pm: F1 Academy Qualifying
- 4pm: MIAMI GP SPRINT (race starts at 5pm)
- 6.30pm: Ted's Sprint Notebook
- 7.50pm: F1 Academy Race 1
- 8.35pm: Miami GP Qualifying build-up*
- 9pm: MIAMI GP QUALIFYING*
- 11pm: Ted's Qualifying Notebook*
Sunday May 4
- 6pm: F1 Academy Race 2
- 7.30pm: Grand Prix Sunday: Miami GP build-up*
- 9pm: The MIAMI GRAND PRIX*
- 11pm: Chequered Flag: Miami GP reaction*
- Midnight: Ted's Notebook
*also live on Sky Sports Main Event
Formula 1 is in Miami for a Sprint weekend, watch it all live on Sky Sports F1. Stream Sky Sports with NOW - no contract, cancel anytime
