Miami Grand Prix: Kimi Antonelli takes third consecutive pole position

Mercedes’ Kimi Antonelli has returned to the top spot of the timing sheets to take his third consecutive pole position ahead of the Miami Grand Prix, which is expected to be soaking.

Feature image credit: Mercedes F1

Antonelli has taken his third consecutive pole position of three grand prix, spanning from the Chinese, Japanese and Miami race weekends, to keep Mercedes on top in traditional qualifying.

McLaren’s defending world champion, Lando Norris, brought an end to Mercedes clean, unbeaten run of top lap times in qualifying across all formats on Friday. However, on Saturday, it seemed like business had returned on Saturday.

In qualifying for Sunday’s race, Antonelli took the fastest lap in Q3 to secure pole position, mimicking that of Aryton Senna and Michael Schumacher, to take their first three poles in three back-to-back weekends.

But it was not easy for the young championship leader. Red Bull’s Max Verstappen, rejuvenated from a troubled start to the season, put on a late charge to try to challenge Mercedes.

However, the four-time world champion was not able to overthrow the championship leader, who had pole position confirmed whilst he was sitting in Parc Ferme, having made a mistake on his final lap.

Miami Grand Prix: the full F1 schedule and times

Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc rounded out the top three, sitting in third, in between Verstappen and McLaren’s Lando Norris.

At the start of the session, it looked like Gabriel Bortoleto, Audi, might be forced to miss out on qualifying when the session began, hunting for the issues which saw Bortoleto disqualified from the sprint.

However, with the good work from the mechanics, the team managed to get the Brazilian out onto the circuit, and he put in the slowest lap of the grid, down in 22nd, five seconds off the pace.

He was later forced to retire at the side of the circuit, at the end of Q1, after the Audi driver’s rear-left brake had erupted into flames.

The provisional grid for the Miami Grand Prix:

22 – Gabriel Bortoleto +5.084s

21 – Sergio Perez +3.314s

20 – Valtteri Bottas +2.976s

19 – Lance Stroll +2.511s

18 – Fernando Alonso +2.445s

17 – Arvid Lindblad +1.48s

16 – Alexander Albon +1.83s

15 – Esteban Ocon +1.656s

14 – Carlos Sainz +1.452s

13 – Oliver Bearman +1.451s

12 – Liam Lawson +1.383s

11 – Nico Hulkenberg +1.323s

10 – Pierre Gasly +1.012s

9 – Isack Hadjar +0.991s

8 – Franco Colapinto +0.964s

7 – Oscar Piastri +0.702s

6 – Lewis Hamilton +0.521s

5 – George Russell +0.399s

4 – Lando Norris +0.385s

3 – Charles Leclerc +0345s

2 – Max Verstappen +0.166s

1 – Kimi Antonelli, 1m 27.798s

The Miami Grand Prix will get underway on Sunday at 4 pm local time. It is expected to be a soaking race with thunderstorms expected on Sunday, producing a rain-hazard race as per the recent FIA announcement.

Read more Formula 1 here:

• Miami Grand Prix: Norris converts pole into win to lead McLaren 1-2
• Miami Grand Prix: Lando Norris beats Kimi Antonelli to sprint pole
• Charles Leclerc tops extended sole practice at Miami Grand Prix
• How F1 points are awarded if Miami Grand Prix is cancelled
• Miami Grand Prix: Storm threat raises risk of race disruption
• Miami Grand Prix: the full F1 schedule and times

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