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Kimi Antonelli made headlines after clinching the Sprint pole for Mercedes at the Miami GP, a feat that eluded Lewis Hamilton in the same circuit. While the Brit is still adapting to his Ferrari SF-25, Antonelli has found his footing with the silver arrows to become the youngest F1 driver ever to become a pole-sitter.
The 20-year-old prodigy began Friday's sprint qualifying by topping the timesheets in Q1. Advancing through to Q3, Antonelli logged the fastest third sector to pip Oscar Piastri for pole by a narrow margin of 0.045 seconds.
Hamilton, meanwhile, continued to trail behind his teammate Charles Leclerc, a pattern that's become a familiar sight of sorts in the Ferrari stable. His successor at Mercedes pulling ahead on pace didn't help his case either.
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In his part, Antonelli shared an ecstatic response to his maiden pole, stating, via Formula1.com:
“I’m feeling over the moon. I did not expect it, but I was feeling good in the car. I was able to improve lap by lap and find that consistency, and that lap came all together. I’m super, super happy with that, and now we will enjoy this moment a little bit more, but as well I want to focus on tomorrow because I really want to try and repeat myself.”
Lewis Hamilton is set to start the Miami Sprint at P7, one spot above the cut-off line for points. The Brit risks falling further behind in the standings if his current form continues, with Antonelli already seven points ahead at sixth place. Nonetheless, the 7x F1 champion took to social media to congratulate the Mercedes driver on his first pole.
Lewis Hamilton draws Mercedes comparisons amid Ferrari struggles
Lewis Hamilton has held his ground amid his growing pains with Ferrari, suggesting that he faced a similar stretch of struggles in his first six months at Mercedes. In a press release on Ferrari's official website, the Briton outlined his plans to get on top of the SF-25.
“I’m more motivated than ever and fully focused on finding the right feeling with the SF-25. I know I need to be patient. I remember how demanding the first six months with Mercedes were in terms of adapting, but I’m confident that by working together we’ll get to where we want to be,” he said.
In 2013, Lewis Hamilton began his debut season with Mercedes with a fifth-place result in Australia. While he secured some podium places in the following races, it wasn't until the tenth race at the Hungarian Grand Prix that the Brit managed to secure his first win.
The result marked his only triumph of the season, before Hamilton went on to bag the world championship the following year with 11 race wins.
