Max Verstappen clinched the 43rd pole position of his career at the end of qualifying in Miami, reclaiming the track record with a lap time of 1:26.204.
The Dutchman once again proved unbeatable over one lap, edging out Lando Norris by just 0.065 seconds. Andrea Kimi Antonelli confirmed his strong form, showing that his Sprint Race pole wasn’t a fluke—he was only two thousandths of a second behind the McLaren driver and will start from the second row alongside current championship leader Oscar Piastri, who qualified fourth.
On the Miami International Autodrome, Williams impressed with Carlos Sainz and Alex Albon finishing sixth and seventh respectively, ahead of Charles Leclerc and Esteban Ocon. Despite Lewis Hamilton’s podium in the earlier Sprint Race, Ferrari‘s 2025 season continues to struggle, with another recovery drive likely needed from the Maranello drivers.
Live Commentary Recap – Miami Qualifying
23:15 – POLE POSITION for Max Verstappen with a 1:26.204 lap, followed by Lando Norris and Kimi Antonelli. Oscar Piastri finishes fourth.
23:13 – With less than two minutes remaining in qualifying, all the drivers head back out on track for one final attempt.
23:08 – Provisional pole for Verstappen with a 1:26.492, just ahead of Norris by 0.003 seconds.
23:06 – The provisional pole position goes to Max Verstappen. The Dutchman flies around the Miami International Autodrome with a time of 1:26.492, just three thousandths of a second ahead of Lando Norris.
23:02 – Q3 gets underway. Who will take pole position?
22:56 – Major upset as Lewis Hamilton fails to make it into Q3, eliminated alongside Hadjar, Bortoleto, Doohan, and Lawson.
22:54 – Esteban Ocon manages to save himself, knocking Gabriel Bortoleto out of Q3 contention; Isack Hadjar also gains enough time to push Lewis Hamilton out of the top ten. George Russell crosses the line and jumps to third place, pushing the Racing Bulls’ French driver back down to 11th position.
22:47 – Kimi Antonelli shines, improving his time to take third place, ahead of new father and four-time world champion Max Verstappen. With five minutes remaining in Q2, the drivers currently facing elimination are George Russell, Esteban Ocon, Jack Doohan, Liam Lawson, and Isack Hadjar.
22:45 – Oscar Piastri immediately sets the pace, topping the timesheets alongside Lando Norris and setting a new track record with a 1:26.269. It’s a provisional 1-2 for McLaren.
22:40 – The first drivers to hit the track for Q2 were the two from Milton Keynes. The Red Bull king completed his initial attempt in this second qualifying phase at Miami with a time of 1:26.643. Behind him was Yuki Tsunoda, 0.506 seconds off the pace. Taking advantage of Lando Norris’s slipstream, Charles Leclerc clocked the third-fastest time. Between the two Red Bull teammates, we find Alex Albon, Carlos Sainz, and the two Ferrari drivers, with Hamilton behind the Monegasque.
22:33 – Ferrari’s number 44 narrowly escapes elimination with a last-minute lap, while Lando Norris brushes the wall without damaging his car, finishing the lap in second place. Eliminated from Q2 are Nico Hulkenberg, Fernando Alonso, Pierre Gasly, Lance Stroll, and Oliver Bearman.
22:32 – George Russell clocks the third-best time, ahead of his teammate. Charles Leclerc also finishes his lap in ninth position, just behind Gabriel Bortoleto.
22:27 – Lewis Hamilton struggles in the final sector and finishes with the 15th-best time, right on the elimination bubble. Meanwhile, Max Verstappen is the first to go under the 1:27 mark, stopping the clock at 1:26.870. Currently in the elimination zone: Esteban Ocon, Fernando Alonso, Pierre Gasly, Lance Stroll, and Oliver Bearman.
22:25 – Andrea Kimi Antonelli returns to the top with a 1:27.077 on his first timed lap. Behind the Italian are Carlos Sainz and Oscar Piastri. Meanwhile, race control announces an investigation into Alex Albon for a potential pit lane infraction, though details are still unknown.
22:22 – Five minutes into the session, the Mercedes and Racing Bulls drivers had yet to set a lap time.
20:20 – The top spots on the leaderboard are quickly occupied by the two McLaren drivers, with Oscar Piastri leading and Lando Norris in third. Between the two Papaya-colored cars is Max Verstappen, trailing by +0.266.
22:18 – Nico Hulkenberg is the first to set a benchmark with a 1:28.391, but Alex Albon quickly betters it by 0.220 seconds.
22:15 – GREEN LIGHT! After this afternoon’s rain, the sun is shining again on the Miami track.
22:09 – It’s go time! Five minutes until the first qualifying session kicks off in Florida. After the reconnaissance lap incident in the Sprint Race that prevented Charles Leclerc from taking part in the short race, the Monegasque returns to the track aiming for pole.
20:45 – According to Carlo Vanzini’s social media updates, the qualifying session has been delayed. Q1 lights are now set to go green at 22:15.
19:37 – The final session of this motorsport-filled Saturday in Miami is set to begin at 22:00. Can Lando Norris beat his teammate to take his second pole of the season?
After his second Sprint Race win at the Miami International Autodrome—where he celebrated his first career victory exactly one year ago—it’s already time to shift focus to qualifying, which will determine who grabs pole position for tomorrow night’s Grand Prix. With Florida’s unpredictable weather, all predictions are off—who will come out on top in the Magic City?
Photo: Oracle Red Bull Racing, Scuderia Ferrari HP.