Max Verstappen Claims Pole Position at Miami Grand Prix

MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. — Max Verstappen secured pole position for the Miami Grand Prix on Saturday, narrowly beating Lando Norris by just 0.065 seconds. This marks Verstappen’s third pole of the season, and he achieved it with a time of 1:26.204, despite a shaky start to his final lap.

Verstappen, the reigning world champion, noted the improvements in his car during the qualifying session. “It’s been a great qualifying; we improved the car a tiny amount and honestly Q1, Q2, Q3 I was improving every run,” he said. “Around here, it’s very complicated with the tires over a lap, but in the end it worked out well so I’m very happy to be on pole.”

Norris expressed satisfaction with his own performance, despite the close finish. “Congrats to Max, especially being a dad now. I was hoping it would slow him down!” Norris said. “I can’t fault him. I’m happy and excited for tomorrow’s race.”

Mercedes driver Andrea Kimi Antonelli claimed the third spot on the grid, marking his best qualifying position in a Grand Prix. After struggling in the earlier sprint race, Antonelli bounced back with a solid performance, finishing just 0.067 seconds behind Verstappen. “This weekend is going well so far, but it was good to bounce back this way,” he commented.

Oscar Piastri, Verstappen’s closest competitor in the championship standings, qualified fourth while George Russell filled the fifth position for Mercedes. Behind them, Carlos Sainz and Alex Albon from Williams took sixth and seventh respectively, followed by Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc in eighth and Esteban Ocon in ninth for Haas. Yuki Tsunoda rounded out the top ten for Red Bull.

In a surprising turn, Lewis Hamilton, a seven-time world champion, failed to qualify in the top ten, finishing 12th after struggling with grip and time management throughout the session. Hamilton’s exit from Q2 left him behind Racing Bulls’ Isack Hadjar in 11th.

The Miami Grand Prix is set to start at 4 p.m. local time on Sunday, promising a competitive race as drivers prepare to take the challenge of the Miami International Autodrome.