Kimi Antonelli Becomes Youngest F1 Sprint Pole-Sitter in Miami Showdown

Kimi Antonelli Stuns F1 World With Record Sprint Pole in Miami

Kimi Antonelli set paddock tongues wagging at the Miami Grand Prix as he seized his first Sprint pole position, rewriting Formula 1 history books as the youngest driver ever to do so. At just 18 years and 250 days, the Mercedes newcomer posted a blistering 1:26.482 in Sprint Qualifying. That lap didn't just put him on top—it toppled preconceptions about rookies and age, too. His control through the third sector was razor-sharp, taking advantage of the grippier track surface as qualifying built heat and drama. It's wild to think just an hour before, Antonelli had been wrestling for grip and languishing in ninth during Free Practice.

His pole snatch was no fluke. McLaren's Oscar Piastri was on a flyer, but Antonelli had just enough in hand—by a wafer-thin 0.045 seconds—to stay ahead. Lando Norris was right there as well, only 0.1 seconds adrift. It's never been tighter at the top, and this new era of Sprint Qualifying is proving merciless. Each lap mattered. Each mistake punished drivers immediately.

Contrasts and Controversy: Lawson's Setback, Verstappen Upstaged

While Mercedes was celebrating, there was a very different mood in the Red Bull garage. Liam Lawson, seen as a rising star by many in the paddock, found himself out in SQ2—short of time, grip, and luck. The frustration was clear as he left his car, his body language saying it all. Competitive sessions like these leave no room for even the smallest misstep, and Lawson's disappointment was a reminder of the unpredictable nature of Formula 1.

The drama didn’t stop there. For a while, it looked as though Max Verstappen might bag another pole, but Antonelli's late heroics left Verstappen bumped to a provisional third. His effort was still impressive—just not enough on a day where tenths of a second meant everything. Meanwhile, George Russell clawed his way to fourth, fighting a lack of tire confidence. He admitted over team radio that it was tough to get the rubber working well, especially as the Miami circuit changed and caught even experienced drivers off guard.

Further down, Ferrari's Charles Leclerc (P6) and Lewis Hamilton (P7) for Mercedes made the most of tricky conditions to show their teams are heading in the right direction. Hamilton, in particular, had been struggling to find pace in earlier sessions but managed to pick up rhythm when it truly mattered. Both seemed relieved to be back in contention—faces at least a shade lighter as they returned to the pits.

• Jack Doohan, Alpine's rookie, had his own pit wall drama, publicly criticizing his team's SQ1 pit strategy. He felt poorly timed pit-stops cost him progression into the next round—a blow for a young driver eager to make an impression.

The session as a whole ramped up Miami's reputation as an unpredictable, high-stakes battleground, and Formula 1 fans are already anticipating fireworks in the Sprint. Whether Antonelli can convert this record Sprint pole into more glory is the question everyone’s now asking. But no matter what, Miami just saw a fresh face shake up the old F1 order.