History Made At F1 Miami Grand Prix; Kimi Antonelli Becomes Youngest-Ever Sprint Pole Winner
Story By: SOUTH FLORIDA MOTORSPORTS – MIAMI GARDENS, FL – A thrilling Sprint Qualifying session at the FORMULA 1 CRYPTO.COM MIAMI GRAND PRIX produced a historic moment for the sport, as 18-year-old Kimi Antonelli claimed his maiden Formula 1 Sprint pole position.
The Mercedes rookie set the fastest ever lap around the Miami International Autodrome in the closing moments of the session, narrowly edging out the McLaren duo of Oscar Piastri and Lando Norris. On his first-ever appearance in Miami Gardens, Antonelli delivered a stunning lap just 0.045s quicker than Piastri. Behind the McLarens, World Champion Max Verstappen qualified fourth, with Antonelli’s Mercedes team-mate, George Russell, in fifth.
“It was a very intense Qualifying,” said the Italian. “I felt really good this morning and confident going into the session. The last lap was mighty — I basically put everything together. I’m really happy to get my first pole. Tomorrow will be special, starting on the front row. It’s going to be a different feeling and I really can’t wait to see how we do in the Sprint.”
The final eight minutes of SQ3 delivered a dramatic conclusion, with Verstappen initially setting the benchmark with 1m26.737s before being bettered by Russell. But it was Antonelli who stole the show — to the delight of the Mercedes garage — with his sensational 1m26.482s lap. Behind the top five, the Ferraris of Charles Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton will start tomorrow’s Sprint in sixth and seventh, respectively.
There was early drama in the opening SQ1 session, when several drivers failed to cross the line in time to complete a second flying lap — including Red Bull’s Yuki Tsunoda. Meanwhile, Alpine’s Pierre Gasly clipped the wall on the outside of Turn 16, while Carlos Sainz locked up his Williams at Turn 11 and was eliminated in SQ2.
Earlier in the day, the sole 60-minute Free Practice session ran relatively trouble-free. A number of teams debuted special Miami-themed liveries, including Ferrari’s blue-and-white design and the Racing Bulls’ fully pink color scheme, in celebration of racing in the Sunshine State. Piastri topped the timesheets ahead of Leclerc, Verstappen, and both Williams drivers.
The only major incident came late in the session when Haas driver Ollie Bearman ran wide at Turn 11 and spun at the next corner, striking the wall with his right-rear tyre. The contact brought out the red flag and ended the session prematurely. Though the damage was limited, it disrupted Bearman’s preparations, and he will start last for Saturday’s Sprint, which begins at 12 noon. Qualifying for Sunday’s Grand Prix is scheduled for 16:00 tomorrow.
A day after Miami hosted its innovative Women Drive forum, the all-female F1 ACADEMY series took to the circuit for two 40-minute practice sessions. In the morning, Mercedes junior Doriane Pin set the fastest time with a 1m59.143s lap. In the afternoon, championship leader Maya Weug ended the day on top, finishing two tenths ahead of American Chloe Chambers. There was a minor incident at the start of the session when Wild Card entrant Ava Dobson ran into the back of Lia Block’s car at Turn 1, causing Block to spin. F1 ACADEMY action continues on Saturday, with Qualifying at 10:25 and Race 1 — featuring a reverse top-eight grid — at 14:55.
Earlier in the day, South Florida Motorsports (SFM), promoter of the FORMULA 1 CRYPTO.COM MIAMI GRAND PRIX, announced a new 10-year extension to its agreement with Formula 1, securing the race on the calendar through to 2041. This landmark deal makes the Grand Prix in Miami Gardens the longest-running contracted event in Formula 1 and highlights both the race’s remarkable success and F1’s continued growth in the United States. Set against the backdrop of Hard Rock Stadium — home of the Miami Dolphins — the Grand Prix has become a standout fixture, seamlessly blending motorsport, music, culture, and lifestyle to deliver an unforgettable experience for fans, teams, partners, and drivers alike.
Speaking at a specially organized press conference, Tom Garfinkel, Managing Partner FORMULA 1 CRYPTO.COM MIAMI GRAND PRIX said: “First of all, without Stephen Ross’s private investment commitment and trust in us to do this it wouldn’t be possible. What this enables us to do now is to continue to invest into this event and to try and make it better year on year. It’s part of our ethos and the culture we have created here and everything we do is to continue to grow, continue to innovate and try and do things a little differently. We are customer-centric, we listen to our fans and action on the feedback we get. As we move forward we’re a creative, innovative group and we’ll look at new ideas moving forward — and build more fans in the United States.”
Away from the on-track action, fans attending today were also treated to a packed day of entertainment across the Campus, including electrifying performances from Kygo and Cedric Gervais at the Hard Rock Beach Club. More artists will take to the stage tomorrow, including Kaskade and Steve Aoki, while tomorrow night will feature the second annual Miami Bonhams|Cars auction — set to include Jenson Button’s 2009 championship-winning Brawn GP car which has an estimated value of $4.5 – $6.5 million.
