Formula One witnessed a historic moment as Kimi Antonelli, Mercedes’ 18-year-old rookie, secured pole position in the Miami Grand Prix sprint qualifying on Friday, becoming the youngest polesitter in any format.
Antonelli, who replaced seven-time champion Lewis Hamilton at Mercedes in January, delivered a stunning lap time of 1:26.482, edging out McLaren’s Oscar Piastri by 0.045 seconds. The Italian driver expressed his excitement, calling his final lap “mighty” and a moment he will never forget.
McLaren’s Lando Norris and Red Bull’s Max Verstappen, who recently became a father, completed the top four qualifiers. Meanwhile, Ferrari’s Hamilton could only manage seventh behind teammate Charles Leclerc and Mercedes’ George Russell.
The 100km sprint race on Saturday will award points to the top eight finishers, adding extra intensity to the weekend’s competition. With Piastri leading the championship standings by 10 points, he aims for his third consecutive Grand Prix victory on Sunday.
