Kimi Antonelli delivered a standout qualifying performance to secure pole position for the 2026 Miami Grand Prix, beating Max Verstappen by nearly three tenths of a second. The Italian teenager set an early benchmark at the Miami International Autodrome on May 2 and left the rest of the field chasing a time that ultimately proved out of reach.
Antonelli did not need a second timed effort, with his banker lap comfortably holding firm as rivals mounted their final attempts. Verstappen closed to within striking distance but could not bridge the sizeable gap as the session concluded.
Charles Leclerc and Lando Norris will line up on the second row for Ferrari and McLaren, respectively. George Russell rounded out the top five, with Lewis Hamilton set to start sixth after a tight fight among the lead contenders.
It was a mixed session for McLaren despite the team’s earlier 1-2 finish in the sprint. Oscar Piastri struggled in Q1 with a power unit issue and scraped through to the middle segment in P16 after two underwhelming laps. Norris, meanwhile, encountered a boost problem in Q2 that left him off the pace in the battle to reach Q3. Even so, he ultimately locked in fourth on the grid, keeping himself in contention at the sharp end.
Audi endured a bruising afternoon. Gabriel Bortoleto, disqualified from the sprint, initially appeared at risk of missing qualifying entirely as the team worked to address the issue that caused his exclusion. The German outfit did manage to get the Brazilian on track, but he ended the session as the slowest of the 22 runners. After the chequered flag, Bortoleto’s R26 came to a halt with a brake fire — the team’s second fire of the day following the power unit failure that prevented Nico Hulkenberg from starting the sprint.
At the front, the grid promises an intriguing dynamic. Antonelli will aim to convert a commanding pole into race-day control, while Verstappen looms as the primary threat from the front row. Behind them, Leclerc and Norris are well positioned to capitalise on any opening, and reliability remains a key storyline after Audi’s troubled day. With the top six tightly matched beyond the pole margin, strategy and execution will be decisive in the Grand Prix.
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*Originally published on [News Formula 1](https://newsformula.one/article/kimi-antonelli-takes-miami-2026-f1-pole-over-verstappen). Visit for full coverage.*
