Kimi Antonelli Secures Pole Position for Miami Sprint

Teenager Kimi Antonelli has achieved pole position for the sprint race in Miami. The 18-year-old Mercedes rookie clocked a time of 1:26.482 minutes, securing the best starting position for the short 100-kilometer race scheduled for Saturday at 18:00 CEST/Sky.

In his first-ever pole, Antonelli edged out current championship leader Oscar Piastri, driving for McLaren, by a mere 0.045 seconds, placing him in second. Lando Norris, also from McLaren, finished third, trailing Antonelli by just 0.1 seconds. No driver has ever secured pole for a sprint race at such a young age; the record for the youngest driver to achieve pole in a Grand Prix remains with Sebastian Vettel, who was 21 when he won in Monza in 2008.

Verstappen Finishes Fourth

Max Verstappen, the new father, had to settle for fourth place in his Red Bull. Seven-time world champion Lewis Hamilton, who won the season’s first sprint race in China at the end of March, ended in seventh place. Nico Hülkenberg, the only German driver in the field, finished in 11th position with his Kick Sauber team.

Verstappen appeared beaming in the paddock after the birth of his daughter Lily, which he celebrated with his girlfriend Kelly Piquet. “I was fortunate enough to spend a few days with them after the birth, it was wonderful,” Verstappen shared, noting his close relationship with Piquet’s eldest daughter, Penelope, referring to himself as a ‚bonus dad.‘

A Remarkable Achievement

Antonelli, however, wore the biggest smile following the sprint qualifying session, astonishing the competition. “That’s quite a statement,” remarked Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff regarding the young driver’s performance, who has taken over Hamilton’s seat this season.

The Formula 1 sprint was introduced in 2021 to add excitement to the Grand Prix weekend, awarding eight points to the winner and one point to the eighth place finisher.