03/05/2025 23:24
Max Verstappen secured a remarkable pole position for the Miami
Grand Prix, with hot favourites McLaren having again been left
stunned by the reigning world champion. Verstappen set a
staggering 1m 26.204s on his final hot lap to claim a third pole of
the season. Lando Norris had to settle for second after going
0.065s slower, with Kimi Antonelli in third. Oscar Piastri had to
settle for a surprise fourth, having failed to replicate some
exceptional pace he demonstrated in Q2. George Russell completed
the top five. There was significant disappointment for Lewis
Hamilton, who after finishing third in the Miami Sprint found
himself eliminated in the second stage of qualifying. Report
continues below! Q3 - Verstappen clinical Despite McLaren having
dominated on Saturday, it was Verstappen on provisional pole
following the opening hot laps in the final stage of qualifying.
Throughout qualifying, the Red Bull driver had an advantage in the
first sector, indicating that the RB21 is strong at generating heat
into its tyres quickly. He had provisional pole by just
three-thousandths of a second from Piastri, whilst Norris was only
0.017s behind the Dutchman. It was a clear three-way fight for pole
in the closing minutes. Verstappen was the first of the lead trio
to set his final lap, with two-tenths having been found. Neither
Norris nor Piastri had a response, but Antonelli did. The sprint
pole sitter improved to go third fastest, demoting Piastri to the
foot of the second row. Russell completed the top five, ahead of
Carlos Sainz, Alex Albon, Charles Leclerc, Esteban Ocon and Yuki
Tsunoda. Q2 - Hamilton early exit In Q2, Russell was in need of
some "confidence" after informing Mercedes that he had "no grip".
The Briton was at risk of not making the top 10, having been in
11th ahead of his final lap. Hamilton was also in need of a big
lap having been pushed into the elimination places. Russell safely
improved to go third fastest; however, the same could not be said
for his former team-mate. A mistake by the 40-year-old saw him bail
out of his final lap, leaving him out of qualifying in 12th. It
marked a disappointing end to what had been a positive day, having
finished third in the sprint. Isack Hadjar missed out on Q3 by just
0.020s, with Hamilton, an impressive Gabriel Bortoleto, Jack Doohan
and Liam Lawson having joined him in a Q2 departure. At the top,
Piastri was untouchable on a 1m 26.269s, over two-tenths clear of
Norris in second. Q1 - Aston Martin agony In Q1, Hamilton found
himself in danger ahead of his final flying lap after being in
15th. Momentarily, Hamilton found himself in the drop zone, before
improving to eighth. There were no huge surprises in the
elimination places, which included Fernando Alonso who miraculously
managed to take part in qualifying. Alonso's car required
significant repairs ahead of qualifying following a crash in the
sprint race, which damaged several areas of the car.
Unfortunately, it was a double-Aston Martin exit in the first stage
of qualifying. Nico Hulkenerg claimed 16th, ahead of Alonso, Pierre
Gasly, Lance Stroll and Ollie Bearman. At the top, it was a McLaren
one-two. Piastri set a 1m 26.870s to go fastest in Q1, with Norris
having been just under one-tenth adrift.
