In a historic qualification session during the sprint race in Miami, 18-year-old Andrea Kimi Antonelli claimed pole position, marking him as the youngest pole sitter across all formats of Formula 1. This achievement comes as he continues his impressive debut season with Mercedes, having replaced seven-time world champion Lewis Hamilton.

Qualifying Highlights

Antonelli managed to secure pole by a narrow margin of just 0.045 seconds over championship leader Oscar Piastri. This was Antonelli’s inaugural pole position in a competitive F1 session, an accomplishment he celebrated enthusiastically over the radio, exclaiming, “Yes mate! Come on! Come on!”

Reflecting on the tense qualifying session, he stated, “I felt really good since this morning, and I felt confident going into qualifying. The last lap was mighty. I put basically everything together, and it was nice that it all came together. I’m really happy to get the first pole.” Antonelli expressed eagerness for the sprint race, noting, “Tomorrow it’s going to be nice to start on the front row.”

Historical Context

Antonelli’s achievement surpasses the previous record held by Sebastian Vettel, who was 21 years and 73 days old when he secured pole position at the 2008 Italian Grand Prix.

Mercedes Team Principal Toto Wolff remarked on the significance of the pole, stating, “It’s about the trajectory. It’s not whether it’s a pole in only the sprint or a pole tomorrow or in the future; he’s done it, and he’s quickest.”

Grid Positions and Competitors

Following Antonelli on the grid will be Piastri and Lando Norris, who expressed positive outlooks despite missing out on pole. “All in all, I’m pretty happy,” Piastri said, indicating he believes there’s more pace to uncover for the sprint attempt.

Max Verstappen, who recently welcomed his first daughter, Lily, qualified fourth, while George Russell, Antonelli’s teammate, took fifth place. Notably, Yuki Tsunoda from Red Bull faced disappointment, failing to advance from SQ1 and starting in 18th position.

Additional Notable Grid Positions

• Charles Leclerc (Ferrari) – 6th
• Lewis Hamilton (Mercedes) – 7th
• Alex Albon (Williams) – 8th
• Isack Hadjar (Racing Bulls) – 9th
• Fernando Alonso (Aston Martin) – 10th
• Nico Hulkenberg (Sauber) – 11th

Team Reactions and Comments

In the opening session, Alpine driver Jack Doohan expressed frustration regarding his qualifying performance, which he attributed to the timing of his release from the garage. “Mate, that’s not acceptable,” he asserted. This trouble for Doohan could complicate his future with Alpine, as reserve driver Franco Colapinto is waiting in the wings.