Kimi Antonelli secured pole position for the Miami Grand Prix on Saturday, May 2, 2026, setting the benchmark at 1:27.798. The championship leader rebounded from a low-key sprint earlier in the day—where he collected three points for sixth—to edge Max Verstappen by 0.166s for the front-row start.
Verstappen’s improved pace puts him alongside Antonelli on the grid. Charles Leclerc and Lando Norris will share the second row in third and fourth respectively, meaning four different teams occupy the first four grid spots.
George Russell took fifth ahead of Lewis Hamilton in sixth, with Oscar Piastri seventh. Franco Colapinto, Isack Hadjar and Pierre Gasly rounded out the top 10.
Miami GP 2026 qualifying — classification: - 1. Kimi Antonelli (Mercedes) — 1:27.798 - 2. Max Verstappen (Red Bull) — +0.166s - 3. Charles Leclerc (Ferrari) — +0.345s - 4. Lando Norris (McLaren) — +0.385s - 5. George Russell (Mercedes) — +0.399s - 6. Lewis Hamilton (Ferrari) — +0.521s - 7. Oscar Piastri (McLaren) — +0.702s - 8. Franco Colapinto (Alpine) — +0.964s - 9. Isack Hadjar (Racing Bulls) — +0.991s - 10. Pierre Gasly (Alpine) — +1.012s - 11. Nico Hulkenberg (Audi) — Eliminated in Q2 - 12. Liam Lawson (Racing Bulls) — Eliminated in Q2 - 13. Oliver Bearman (Haas) — Eliminated in Q2 - 14. Carlos Sainz (Williams) — Eliminated in Q2 - 15. Esteban Ocon (Haas) — Eliminated in Q2 - 16. Alex Albon (Williams) — Eliminated in Q2 - 17. Arvid Lindblad (Racing Bulls) — Eliminated in Q1 - 18. Fernando Alonso (Aston Martin) — Eliminated in Q1 - 19. Lance Stroll (Aston Martin) — Eliminated in Q1 - 20. Valtteri Bottas (Cadillac) — Eliminated in Q1 - 21. Sergio Perez (Cadillac) — Eliminated in Q1 - 22. Gabriel Bortoleto (Audi) — Eliminated in Q1
This season’s qualifying format features two key tweaks: with 22 cars now on the grid, six drivers are eliminated after both Q1 and Q2, leaving 10 for the pole shootout. Q3 has also been extended by one minute to 13 minutes.
What to watch next: Sunday’s race will launch with four teams represented across the first two rows, setting up a mixed-field fight from the start as Antonelli and Verstappen go head-to-head into Turn 1.
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*Originally published on [News Formula 1](https://newsformula.one/article/antonelli-takes-miami-gp-2026-pole-verstappen-alongside). Visit for full coverage.*
