Kimi Antonelli Takes Superb Pole; Norris Wins the Sprint Race

MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. –  The atmosphere is building in the South Florida sunshine ahead of tomorrow’s FORMULA 1 CRYPTO.COM MIAMI GRAND PRIX, as fans packed into the Miami International Autodrome for a spectacular day of on- and off- track action. World Championship leader Kimi Antonelli will start Sunday’s 57-lap race from pole position after setting the fastest time in this afternoon’s qualifying session. The Italian driver posted a time of 1m27.798s on his first run in Q3 to secure top spot for Mercedes.

He's not done yet 👏#MiamiGP | @MercedesAMGF1 pic.twitter.com/hFN1okRqSu

— F1 Miami Grand Prix (@f1miami) May 4, 2026

A second attempt saw him make a mistake and abort the lap, leaving him to nervously await the efforts of his rivals — but none could match his benchmark time. The 19-year-old’s third consecutive pole position marks a remarkable run of form and serves as the perfect response to a challenging Sprint earlier in the day. Starting from the front row, Antonelli had made a slow getaway and ultimately finished sixth after receiving a five-second time penalty.

“It’s been an amazing day. It didn’t go our way in the Sprint, but I’m super happy with the recovery,” said the Italian. “It was a good qualifying but I got a bit excited on the last lap of Q3, but the first lap was good enough. I was a little bit stressed waiting for everyone to finish their laps, but in the end it was good enough. Hopefully we’ll have a magic start tomorrow and not lose any positions.”

A late lap from Red Bull’s Max Verstappen secured the Dutchman his first front-row start of the season, just 0.166s shy of Antonelli’s time. Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc will line up third, while Sprint winner Lando Norris set the fourth-fastest time for McLaren. Antonelli’s Mercedes teammate George Russell was fifth quickest, ahead of Lewis Hamilton (Ferrari) and the second McLaren of Oscar Piastri.

“I haven’t felt comfortable in the car, but over the last couple of weeks the team has been pushing to bring upgrades to the car and making me feel more comfortable,” said Verstappen. “That has paid off because I feel more in control of the car again and I can push more. There is light at the end of the tunnel and to be on the front row is way better than I expected this weekend.”

No stranger to papaya on our podium 🧡

Congratulations @McLarenF1 on the double podium! pic.twitter.com/IOLi5DTDgN

— F1 Miami Grand Prix (@f1miami) May 4, 2026

Leclerc was also encouraged by his third-place result, although he noted the challenging, shifting wind conditions. “It was really on the limit, especially in Turns 11 and 12,” he said. “There were massive differences in laps with the wind, so it was tricky to put a lap together. But P3 is a good starting position and I’m looking forward to the race. It looks wet tomorrow, but how much rain there will be is to be determined, but it looks like a wet race.”

Qualifying took place in hot, sunny conditions, with air temperatures peaking at 92°F and track temperatures reaching 126°F at 4 p.m. local time. The Cadillac and Aston Martin entries were among those eliminated in Q1, joined by Gabriel Bortoleto after a dramatic mechanical issue. The Brazilian suffered a fire in his left-rear brakes, and he was forced to retire his car on the back straight while marshals extinguished the flames. There was a slight delay to Q2, but the remainder of qualifying ran uninterrupted.

Across the day, the Miami International Autodrome has been buzzing with celebrities and personalities from the world of film, music and sport. They included TV host Jimmy Fallon, who was watching qualifying from the Racing Bulls garage, actors Colin Farrell, Patrick Dempsey, Matthew Broome, Tyriq Withers, in addition to athlete Noah Lyles, musicians Kelsea Ballerini and Ja Rule, while Shaquille O’Neal aka DJ Diesel performed a special high-energy set at Hard Rock Beach Club.

Earlier in the day, Norris delivered a commanding performance in the Sprint, leading home Piastri to secure a dominant McLaren one-two. The Briton crossed the line 3.76 seconds clear of his teammate, with Leclerc completing the podium after showing strong pace throughout the weekend.

Drama struck before the start of the Sprint, as Nico Hulkenberg suffered a power unit issue with his Audi. On his reconnaissance lap to the grid, smoke billowed from the rear of his car, and a small fire forced him to pull over before he could return to the pits. The fire was swiftly extinguished, but the German driver was unable to take the start and watched the race from the pit garage. Racing Bulls’ Arvid Lindblad was another non-starter after suffering a technical problem.

As the crews and drivers assembled on the grid, they came together for a moment’s silence to pay tribute to former competitor Alex Zanardi, who sadly passed away yesterday at the age of 59. The big screens displayed images of the Italian, a two-time IndyCar/CART champion, who also enjoyed two stints in Formula 1 during the 1990s.

Off the line, front row starter Antonelli made a slow getaway and was immediately swamped by his rivals, including Piastri, who slotted into second behind Norris. Leclerc moved into third, and while Russell initially challenged his teammate, Antonelli held position as they rounded Turn 1. Behind them, there was a tense moment as three cars ran side-by-side into Turn 3 — Verstappen in the middle, with Hamilton to his left and the Alpine of Colapinto to his right. Despite minor contact, it was the Red Bull that emerged ahead to run sixth, behind the two Mercedes on the opening lap.

After the intensity of the first lap, the race settled into a more measured rhythm, with Norris establishing a small, but decisive margin over Piastri and Leclerc. Further back, Russell was locked in a battle with his Mercedes teammate. Verstappen attempted a move on Hamilton into Turn 11, forcing the Ferrari wide as both cars ran off track. The Dutchman was instructed to give the place back, but made the move stick on the following lap to claim sixth.

Had ourselves a day 🍾#MiamiGP pic.twitter.com/tsMTAxFVYc

— F1 Miami Grand Prix (@f1miami) May 4, 2026

Verstappen ultimately split the Mercedes in the final classification with fifth, as Antonelli — having received multiple track limits warnings — was handed a five-second time penalty, dropping him to sixth. Hamilton finished seventh, with Pierre Gasly collecting the final World Championship point for Alpine in eighth. The victory marked Norris’ fourth career Sprint win, and he was presented with his winners’ trophy by Reid Wiseman, commander of the Artemis II Moon mission.

Prior to the Sprint, fans were treated to a thrilling Formula 2 race. Across 23 laps, there were repeated lead changes between pole-sitter Nikola Tsolov and Laurens van Hoepen — a duel that went down to a dramatic final-corner dash to the line. The closing stages evolved into a three-way fight, with Alex Dunne closing in on the leaders on the final lap. Red Bull junior Tsolov crossed the line just 0.170s ahead of van Hoepen after 40 minutes of exceptional racing, marking a spectacular debut for Formula 2 in North America.

The action at the Miami International Autodrome continues tomorrow with the main event — the 57-lap FORMULA 1 CRYPTO.COM MIAMI GRAND PRIX will start at a new time of 1 p.m.. Before then, fans can look forward to the Formula 2 Feature Race, as well as further on-track action from the McLaren Trophy.

For more information, visit f1miamigp.com.