Max Verstappen secured his third Formula 1 season pole position on Saturday, winning the pole at the Miami International Autodrome. He qualified an impressive 0.065 seconds ahead of rival Lando Norris during qualifying. The Red Bull Racing driver turned in an absolute masterclass on track. At the same time, Norris was largely hampered by other major issues that undermined his pace, of which there was plenty.
Verstappen’s qualifying session showcased his ability to adapt and improve, as he noted, “It’s been a great qualifying we improved the car a tiny amount … and honestly Q1, Q2, Q3 [I was] improving every run trying to find a bit more of the limit. Around here is very complicated with the tires over a lap.” His hard work proved effective, giving him the opportunity to start from the front row in the main event.
And even though Lando Norris had an overall disappointing qualifying session on Friday, he showed his mettle and fought his way to victory in Saturday’s sprint race. He was mistake seeded when he had an absolutely shocking lap. He was nonetheless pleased with his forward progress in his car and in his overall performance this weekend. Norris humorously acknowledged Verstappen’s achievements, stating, “Congrats to Max, especially being a dad now. I was hoping it would slow him down!”
Andrea Kimi Antonelli of Mercedes, who qualified third, had a tough escape in the sprint race. With a bad start, he lost the lead before the first corner. Then, he mouthed off at Verstappen in the pit lane, which prevented him from converting his pole position into a victory. Looking back on Thursday and Friday, Antonelli is excited about how this weekend has gone so far, stating, “This weekend’s going really well so far.”
It was a grim qualifying for Lewis Hamilton. He went on to finish 12th, his first time all season finishing outside the top ten. Nico Hulkenberg barely missed advancing to Q2 with a 16th place finish after missing the mark by only 0.023 seconds.
Home hero George Russell took fifth for Mercedes. Meanwhile, Oscar Piastri ended up fourth in Q3 but was unable to better his Q2 time. Carlos Sainz pipped out Alex Albon to seventh, while Charles Leclerc was the lead Ferrari in P8. Esteban Ocon will start ninth for Haas, completing a rapid-fire qualifying session.
Yuki Tsunoda had a struggle too, finishing bottom at 0.699s off Verstappen’s pole time. The unpredictable outcome makes for an exciting climate heading into the final race. Drivers are pictured as they prepare to duel it out on the Miami street circuit!
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