Miami Grand Prix – Sprint Qualifying: Kimi Antonelli surprises the two McLarens
Kimi Antonelli took his first pole position in qualifying for the Sprint race, just ahead of the two McLaren drivers. Yuki Tsunoda failed to get out of SQ1!
The conditions were hot for these Sprint race Qualifications with 28°C in the air and 48°C on the track, with bright sunshine shining to live up to Florida’s Sunshine State nickname.
Oliver Bearman was able to participate in the session as his mechanics were able to repair the damage caused by his off-track excursion during the free practice session. Frenchman Isack Hadjar saw his first attempt canceled for exceeding track limits, while Charles Leclerc and Gabriel Bortoleto hit the wall at the exit of turn 16 but without consequences for both drivers.
On the other hand, the big surprise was that Yuki Tsunoda was eliminated driving his Red Bull, with only the 18th best time. The gap with his teammate Max Verstappen was immense, over 1.3 seconds. In his defense, the Japanese driver was unable to make his second attempt as he crossed the start line too late. Jack Doohan faced the same misfortune. The Australian did not hesitate to express his deep dissatisfaction over the radio.
Note that Max Verstappen seemed to have impeded both Lando Norris and Lance Stroll during his slowdown lap, but he was not troubled by the FIA stewards.
**The eliminated from SQ1:** Stroll, Doohan, Tsunoda, Bortoleto, and Bearman.
During the second session, only half of the grid made two attempts as Pierre Gasly, Esteban Ocon, Isack Hadjar, Fernando Alonso, and Liam Lawson only made one. Carlos Sainz wasn’t even able to finish a single lap as he went straight on during his only attempt. In contrast, his teammate Alex Albon managed to reach SQ3 with the eighth fastest time, just ahead of Fernando Alonso and Isack Hadjar. The Frenchman succeeded in beating Nico Hülkenberg by only eight hundredths.
**The SQ2 Eliminated: ** Hülkenberg, Ocon, Gasly, Lawson, and Sainz
During the final phase, Max Verstappen and George Russell were the only ones to go out as soon as the green light was on. The other drivers went out three minutes before the checkered flag, which inevitably created a traffic jam at the pit lane exit and on the track. Isack Hadjar, last in line, crossed the line with just one second to spare on the clock!
In the end, the feeling is that Kimi Antonelli was able to set the fastest time of the session, ahead of drivers Oscar Piastri and Lando Norris.
From our special correspondent in Miami
