Kimi Antonelli took pole position for the Miami Grand Prix with a strong lap, narrowly beating a resurgent Max Verstappen and Red Bull into second place. After the session, the FIA, F1, and the Miami promoter issued a joint statement announcing the race start had been brought forward from 4pm to 1pm local time (6pm BST) due to heavy thunderstorms forecast for the afternoon.
Qualifying Highlights
Charles Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton secured third and sixth for Ferrari, while Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri took fourth and seventh for McLaren. Antonelli's Mercedes teammate George Russell could only manage fifth, four-tenths of a second behind the Italian.
Antonelli, who leads the world championship by seven points from Russell, claimed his third consecutive pole, reasserting Mercedes' pace despite the team not bringing major upgrades to Miami. In contrast, Red Bull, Ferrari, and McLaren all introduced significant developments, appearing to close the gap—especially after Norris and Piastri dominated the sprint race earlier on Saturday.
Team Reactions
Russell described the advances by rivals as "daunting," and Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff conceded after the sprint that they had made little ground in Miami but emphasized the fierce development battle ahead. Antonelli commented, "It's not really a surprise about other teams catching up... Whoever is able to bring more upgrades and more potent ones will make the difference. But definitely to see Max here, we did not expect it."
Verstappen, however, was pleased with Red Bull's upgrades, saying, "So many things were not working up until this weekend. For me, a few things have changed and it made it a lot more comfortable to drive. I feel a lot more confident."
Final Qualifying Session
McLaren and Ferrari were close but remained three-tenths back. Russell will be concerned he could not match his teenage teammate, who has won two of the past three races. In Q3, Norris initially set the benchmark with a 1:28.183, but Verstappen and Leclerc quickly surpassed him. Antonelli then delivered a huge final sector to post a 1:27.798, putting three-tenths on Leclerc. On the final runs, Antonelli did not improve, but Verstappen pushed hard to claim second, just over a tenth behind. Antonelli secured pole, while Verstappen enjoyed his best qualifying of the season.
Race Start Time Change
The decision to move the race start was made after local weather forecasters predicted a high likelihood of thunderstorms hitting the circuit in the afternoon. The US National Weather Service advises stopping sporting events if lightning occurs within six to ten miles. The FIA met with key stakeholders on Saturday afternoon to discuss contingency plans, including bringing the start forward. The current forecast warns of "widespread rain showers and embedded thunderstorms" on Sunday afternoon, which could mark the first competitive wet-weather running for these cars.
The joint statement confirmed: "Following discussions between FIA, F1, and the Miami promoter, the decision has been taken to move the start of Sunday's Miami Grand Prix to 13:00 local time due to the weather forecast... This decision has been taken to ensure the least amount of disruption to the race, and to ensure the maximum possible window to complete the Grand Prix in the best conditions and to prioritise the safety of drivers, fans, teams, and staff."
