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Formula 1 is in Miami, Florida, for the sixth race and the second Sprint weekend of the 2025 F1 season, the Miami GP. The Free Practice and Sprint Shootout is complete, with Kimi Antonelli emerging as the surprising name for the Sprint on Saturday, May 3.
Antonelli stormed into the Sprint with pole as his designated spot as the Mercedes star pulled off a stunning final flying lap. He clocked in 1:26.482 on the timesheet, four and a half hundredths of a second faster than Oscar Piastri of McLaren.
Antonelli's pole was surprising as he defeated the likes of Max Verstappen, Lando Norris, and Piastri to put himself at the front. From his race engineer, Peter Bonnington, to Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff, everyone was taken aback by the 18-year-old's performance.
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As Antonelli and Piastri set themselves up for the front grid, Norris and Verstappen followed suit in the second row. George Russell, Antonelli's teammate, will start the Sprint race alongside Charles Leclerc. Seven-time world champion Lewis Hamilton could only manage P7 alongside Williams' Alex Albon.
Racing Bulls' Isack Hadjar and Aston Martin's Fernando Alonso will occupy the first five rows. Despite expectations of them, Pierre Gasly, Liam Lawson, Carlos Sainz, and Yuki Tsunoda failed to qualify for the SQ3.
Here's the detailed grid format for Saturday's 2025 Miami GP Sprint:
#1 Kimi Antonelli - Mercedes
#2 Oscar Piastri - McLaren
#3 Lando Norris - McLaren
#4 Max Verstappen - Red Bull
#5 George Russell - Mercedes
#6 Charles Leclerc - Ferrari
#7 Lewis Hamilton - Ferrari
#8 Alex Albon - Williams
#9 Isack Hadjar - Racing Bulls
#10 Fernando Alonso - Aston Martin
#11 Nico Hulkenberg - Kick Sauber
#12 Esteban Ocon - Haas
#13 Pierre Gasly - Alpine
#14 Liam Lawson - Racing Bulls
#15 Carlos Sainz - Williams
#16 Lance Stroll - Aston Martin
#17 Jack Doohan - Alpine
#18 Yuki Tsunoda - Red Bull
#19 Gabriel Bortoleto - Kick Sauber
#20 Oliver Bearman
Pole sitter Kimi Antonelli lets his feelings known after mega lap in Miami GP SQ3: "Did not expect that"
Kimi Antonelli, the Mercedes star driver who claimed the Miami GP pole, said he did not see it coming. However, he added that all his focus will be on the Sprint on Saturday.
"I did not expect that!" Antonelli said in the post-qualifying interview. "It feels fantastic to take my first pole position. When I crossed the line, I thought it was a good lap. I was happy with how it came together."
"There were a few areas that I felt I could have found a little bit more time, but I was pleased that I managed to hook up all three sectors. I will enjoy this moment but quickly focus on tomorrow as it would be good to repeat today by taking victory in the Sprint itself," he added.
Oscar Piastri is currently leading the F1 world championship with 99 points, followed by his teammate, Lando Norris, with 89 points. Kimi Antonelli is in P6 with 38 points.
