Kimi Antonelli secures the second pole position of his career: “It was enough, but I was really nervous”

Week after week, Kimi Antonelli proves he's a force to be reckoned with. In Miami, the Mercedes driver secured another pole position following a flawlessly executed qualifying session… despite a tense finish.

Having already set a benchmark lap of 1:27.798 on his first attempt in Q3, the Italian held off the challenges from Max Verstappen, who was ultimately pushed back by 0.166 seconds. It was a solid performance in tricky conditions, with the track losing grip during the final runs.

After the session, Kimi Antonelli didn't hide his satisfaction. “It was an incredible day, to be on pole again,” he said, while reflecting on a more difficult start to the day during the Sprint. “It wasn't our day this morning, so I'm happy with qualifying.”

A mistake on the final lap in Miami

The Mercedes driver does, however, acknowledge a small mistake during his final attempt. “I was a little too excited on the last lap in Q3,” he admits, referring to a lockup at the first corner that forced him to cut his run short.

Fortunately for him, his first lap had already done the job. “The first lap was good,” he simply sums up.

The end of the session was no less stressful for the young driver, who was forced to wait in his cockpit for his rivals to complete their laps. “I was very stressed, waiting for everyone to finish, but it was enough, so I'm happy,” he explains.

Kimi Antonelli is making his mark

With this new pole—his second after Suzuka—Antonelli confirms his rise to prominence and puts Mercedes in the lead ahead of Red Bull, Ferrari, and McLaren.

Now it's time to convert that into a win. “It would be nice not to lose any positions tomorrow…,” he remarks with clarity.

For while he has now established himself as the man to beat over a single lap, one area still needs work: his starts. And in such a tight field, the slightest detail could tip the balance for the weekend.