Max Verstappen rebounded from a challenging Sprint race to secure pole position for the Miami Grand Prix on Sunday, once again outpacing McLaren competitor Lando Norris.
The reigning world champion, who recently became a father, delivered a stellar performance in Q3 reminiscent of his efforts in Suzuka and Jeddah, claiming his third pole of the season. This came just hours after he failed to score points in Saturday`s short Sprint race due to a penalty resulting from a collision with Kimi Antonelli following a Red Bull pit stop error.
A late error by Norris on his final Q3 lap at Turn 17, where his car became unsettled by the kerb, potentially cost him the 0.065-second margin by which Verstappen secured pole.
Despite this, the British driver qualified two places ahead of his championship-leading teammate Oscar Piastri. Piastri dropped to fourth in the final seconds after being unable to match the blistering pace he showed in Q2.
Sprint polesitter Antonelli continued his impressive weekend form by qualifying third. The Italian teenager finished incredibly close to Norris in second, just 0.002 seconds behind, and 0.067 seconds shy of Verstappen`s pole time.
Antonelli has now outqualified teammate George Russell in both Sprint and Grand Prix qualifying formats for the first time. Russell, the more experienced Mercedes driver, expressed disappointment with his pace, finishing a tenth slower than Antonelli to take fifth place on the grid.
Meanwhile, qualifying proved to be another frustrating session for Ferrari.
Just hours after securing a top-three finish in the second consecutive Sprint race, Lewis Hamilton`s struggles with single-lap pace returned. He qualified 12th, marking his first Q2 exit in his six races since joining Ferrari.
Charles Leclerc managed to reach the final Q3 stage but could only secure the eighth-fastest time.
This meant Ferrari was not only outqualified by their usual front-running rivals but also by Williams, who achieved an impressive sixth and seventh place with Carlos Sainz and Alex Albon respectively.
Esteban Ocon put Haas into the top 10 with the ninth-fastest time, finishing ahead of Yuki Tsunoda in 10th place in the second Red Bull. Tsunoda`s lap was a significant 0.739 seconds slower than his pole-sitting teammate Verstappen.
Miami GP Qualifying: Top 10
- 1) Max Verstappen, Red Bull
- 2) Lando Norris, McLaren
- 3) Kimi Antonelli, Mercedes
- 4) Oscar Piastri, McLaren
- 5) George Russell – Mercedes
- 6) Carlos Sainz, Williams
- 7) Alex Albon, Williams
- 8) Charles Leclerc, Ferrari
- 9) Esteban Ocon, Haas
- 10) Yuki Tsunoda, Red Bull
New dad Verstappen delivers `a Max lap` to deny Norris
Despite the earlier rain-affected Sprint race not going as planned, the four-time world champion appeared in contention for the front row from the start of qualifying, once again challenging the quick McLarens.
Verstappen set the pace in Q1 but was only fifth quickest in Q2, 0.374 seconds behind Piastri`s strong benchmark at that stage. However, he found an extra 0.4 seconds on his Q2 effort to hold provisional pole after the first runs in the decisive Q3 shootout.
Verstappen`s chances of improving on his initial Q3 time seemed compromised when he experienced a snap of oversteer at Turn One on his final attempt. Yet, he managed to deliver a 0.288-second improvement with a lap of 1:26.204, which neither Norris nor Piastri could match.
“Congrats to Max, especially being a dad now. I was hoping it would slow him down!!” quipped Norris after the session.
“Max did a Max lap once again and I can`t fault him. I`m happy and excited for tomorrow.”
Reflecting on a “great qualifying” after making setup improvements to his Red Bull following the Sprint, Verstappen commented: “I had a tiny moment on my final lap into Turn One, so I lost a bit of time there. But around here it`s just very complicated with the tyres over a lap. But in the end it worked out well, so I`m very happy to be on pole.”
“I mean you can back out of it, but it`s qualifying so you have to try and correct it, and just floor it out of the corner.”
Miami GP Qualifying Timesheet
| 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 |
Miami GP Schedule (UK Times)
- Sunday May 4, 6pm: F1 Academy Race 2
- Sunday May 4, 7.30pm: Grand Prix Sunday: Miami GP build-up
- Sunday May 4, 9pm: THE MIAMI GRAND PRIX
- Sunday May 4, 11pm: Chequered Flag: Miami GP reaction
- Sunday May 4, Midnight: Ted`s Notebook
Marcus Prine