Kimi Antonelli Takes Pole at Miami Grand Prix, Verstappen Finishes 0.166 Seconds Behind

Kimi Antonelli returned to the front of the grid at the Miami International Autodrome by taking pole position for the Miami Grand Prix after a qualifying session that left his rivals unable to match his pace.

Multiple outlets described Antonelli’s decisive lap as his third pole in four grands prix, with the BBC saying it was “the Italian's third pole in four grands prix this season.”

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Reuters-style timing details in the Spanish report put Antonelli’s final benchmark at 1:27.798, following earlier sector times of 1:28.653 and 1:28.289, and the same report said the record was “1:27.798 que resultó inalcanzable para sus rivales.”

The BBC also tied the pole to a turnaround in form, stating Verstappen took second “after a remarkable turnaround in form for his Red Bull team following upgrades to their car.”

Max Verstappen finished 0.166 seconds behind Antonelli, while Charles Leclerc took third, with the BBC listing Leclerc ahead of Lewis Hamilton and behind Verstappen and Antonelli.

The Spanish AutoHebdoSport report placed Lando Norris fourth and said Norris had recovered from a “problema con el sistema de potencia en Q2,” while Oscar Piastri ended up seventh after an irregular qualifying.

Several reports also emphasized that the race start was affected by weather, with the BBC saying the race was moved forward by three hours to 18:00 BST (13:00 local time) because of thunderstorms, and the New York Times adding that the grand prix would start three hours earlier at 1 p.m. due to forecasts of heavy rain at the original start time.

The pole came after a difficult sprint day for Antonelli, and the BBC framed his qualifying as a recovery from that earlier problem.

The BBC said Antonelli “bounced back from a difficult sprint race to take pole position,” and it noted he had been demoted from fourth to sixth in the sprint by “a five-second penalty for exceeding track limits.”

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Antonelli’s own comments to the BBC reflected that tension between the sprint and the qualifying run, as he said: “It has been an amazing day to be on pole again.”

He also described how he managed the final qualifying moment, telling reporters: “I got a little bit excited on the final lap of Q3 but the first lap was good enough.”

The Spanish AutoHebdoSport report similarly said Antonelli “aprovechó su primer intento en Q3 para asegurar una pole que terminó siendo definitiva,” and it added that he did not improve on his last attempt.

Sky Sports and Fox Sports both echoed the idea of a near-miss in the final attempt, with Sky Sports stating “an error at the start of his final attempt meant he missed the chance to improve his time,” and Fox Sports describing that Antonelli “got a bit excited on the last lap in Q3 but the first lap was good enough.”

The BBC further connected Verstappen’s second place to the heat and upgrades, saying Verstappen improved on a second attempt in the “33C Miami heat.”

Beyond Antonelli’s lap, the Miami qualifying narrative in the sources repeatedly returned to technical changes and session conditions.

The BBC said Verstappen’s improvement followed “upgrades to their car,” and it described the Red Bull turnaround as “a remarkable turnaround in form.”

Sky Sports similarly said Red Bull’s front-row return came “amid a fresh twist in the formbook,” and it described that Verstappen was back on the front row “with Red Bull’s resurgent” performance after upgrades.

The New York Times added a specific technical framing by discussing rear-wing concepts, quoting that “the rear wings open when the respective cars are in “active aero” mode,” and it referenced Ferrari’s “macarena” rear wing and Red Bull’s “maxarena” wing.

In contrast, Fox Sports and the live text both highlighted that McLaren’s qualifying was affected by power and deployment issues, with Fox Sports quoting Norris about “a boost issue” and the team radio exchange about “no deployment out of Turn 16.”

The live-text Motorsport report also included a moment where Norris asked “How do I have no deployment out of Turn 16?” and it noted that “Zak Brown tells Sky that Norris did indeed have a boost issue.”

Conditions were not uniform either: the Spanish report described Q1 as “marcada por la igualdad y las condiciones cambiantes, con viento en varias zonas del circuito,” while the live text reported “gusts of up to 25kph at Turn 11.”

The sources also captured distinct reactions from multiple drivers and team figures after qualifying.

Antonelli’s quotes to the BBC emphasized both the recovery and the emotional pressure of waiting for others to improve, as he said: “It has been an amazing day to be on pole again.”

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He added: “I was very stressed just waiting for everyone to finish their laps,” and he reiterated the balance between excitement and execution by saying: “I got a little bit excited on the final lap of Q3 but the first lap was good enough.”

Verstappen’s response, also carried by the BBC, focused on the feeling of control after upgrades, with the Dutchman saying: “To be on the front row after being over a second behind is really incredible.”

He continued: “It could understeer, it could snap on me,” and he concluded that “the car feels a lot more together and I can finally drive the way I want to drive.”

Norris’s comments, as reported by the BBC, centered on how the day’s pace differed from the sprint and on the challenge of conditions, with the world champion saying: “The weird thing is how much pace we lost from yesterday.”

Sky Sports quoted Antonelli again with a similar message of recovery, saying: “It was a difficult start with the Sprint when it didn't go our way but super happy with the recovery.”

With qualifying complete, the sources converged on the race-day stakes created by weather and the resulting reshuffle of the schedule.

“La sesión de clasificación del Gran Premio de Miami dejó un nuevo golpe de autoridad de Kimi Antonelli, que firmó su tercera pole consecutiva en el Miami International Autodrome”

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The BBC said the race was moved forward by three hours to 18:00 BST (13:00 local time) because of the threat of thunderstorms, and it quoted the joint decision as being made because “the weather forecast (predicts) heavier rainstorms later in the afternoon close to the original planned race start time” of 16:00.

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The New York Times reported the same logic in a joint statement, quoting: “This decision has been taken to ensure the least amount of disruption to the race, and to ensure the maximum possible window to complete the grand prix in the best conditions and to prioritise the safety of drivers, fans, teams and staff.”

Sky Sports also described officials meeting after qualifying on Saturday evening to discuss the situation with F1 and the FIA, and it said the race was brought forward by three hours to “6pm UK time (1pm local).”

Motorsport coverage warned that the race could still be moved again, stating “We'll be back tomorrow for what promises to be an interesting Miami Grand Prix - especially if the weather forecast of rain is correct!” and it added that “there is every likelihood the grand prix start could be moved forward.”

Fox Sports and the BBC both included driver comments about wet weather, with Fox Sports quoting Leclerc saying: “It looks wet! How much and when is still to be defined but I think it will be a wet race,” and the BBC describing the threat of thunderstorms as the reason for the schedule change.

In the immediate run-up to lights out, the sources portray Antonelli’s pole as a starting advantage that could be complicated by rain, while Verstappen’s front-row position and McLaren’s fourth-place grid slot set up a field where execution under changing conditions becomes decisive.