Mercedes’ teenage rookie Kimi Antonelli claimed a shock however gorgeous maiden pole place in Formulation 1 for the Miami GP Dash.
The 18-year-old has changed Lewis Hamilton at Mercedes this 12 months following the seven-time champion’s transfer to Ferrari and is competing in simply his sixth grand prix weekend.
Debuting on a Miami road monitor he had by no means pushed earlier than Friday, Antonelli uncorked a superb single lap within the decisive SQ3 part of Dash Qualifying to beat world championship chief Oscar Piastri to the top of Saturday’s 5pm Dash grid by 0.045s.
The Italian is the youngest-ever driver to say a pole place for both of F1’s qualifying codecs, beating the document held by Sebastian Vettel since 2008 by greater than two years.
“Tremendous. What an effort from such a young driver,” mentioned Sky Sports activities F1’s Martin Brundle.
“He has no experience of Miami other than on the simulator and has gone out and smashed a lap in. That’s an outstanding effort.”
Antonelli, who has been on Mercedes’ books since 2019, was personally congratulated by numerous drivers in parc ferme after qualifying and admitted: “I didn’t see that coming. I felt the lap was good and I used to be proud of it.
“There were still a few bits I could have done better but I was super happy with how I put all the sectors together.”
Though crushed to pole for Saturday’s 19-lap race, Piastri was nonetheless forward of McLaren team-mate Lando Norris, with Max Verstappen fourth for Pink Bull on his return to the monitor after the delivery of his first youngster, daughter Lily.
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Kim Antonelli joins the Sky F1 staff after turning into the youngest pole sitter in F1 historical past with a Dash pole in Miami.
However there was disappointment for George Russell within the second Mercedes, who might solely handle fifth.
Russell had certified and completed forward of his new younger team-mate in each aggressive session to date this season as much as Friday however ended up 0.309s adrift of Antonelli this time after his technique of going out early onto the monitor in SQ3 didn’t pay dividends.
Ferrari pair Charles Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton weren’t within the pole combine and completed sixth and seventh respectively, the latter a minimum of barely nearer to his team-mate than he has been at latest occasions at simply 0.2s again.
Hamilton took the 12 months’s first Dash pole in China six weeks in the past however had struggled within the SF-25 since occurring to win that short-form race.
Alex Albon capped a aggressive day for Williams in eighth, though Carlos Sainz dropped out in SQ2 within the second automotive after working huge at Flip 11. Isack Hadjar was ninth for Racing Bulls with Fernando Alonso returning to the highest 10 for Aston Martin in tenth.
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Jack Doohan rants at his Alpine staff after being launched concurrently Pierre Gasly, costing him his ultimate run in Dash Q1 on the Miami GP.
Antonelli makes his first massive assertion in F1
Though it had been the more-experienced Russell who had delivered all of Mercedes’ headline-grabbing outcomes to date this season, Antonelli had made a quietly assured begin to his F1 profession with top-six finishes in 4 of his first 5 grands prix and no main errors.
However his season – and nascent profession on the high stage – really took off across the Miami Worldwide Autodrome on Friday.
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Anthony Davidson takes a more in-depth take a look at Kimi Antonelli’s maiden pole within the Miami GP Dash qualifying.
Displaying early promise within the weekend’s solely observe session earlier on Friday, Antonelli was on the sharp finish of the timesheet from the beginning of Dash Qualifying, ending second-fastest to Russell in SQ1 after which fourth forward of his team-mate in SQ2.
He then brilliantly upstaged the three pole favourites – Piastri, Norris and Verstappen – with a single flying lap of 1:26.482 within the essential ultimate stage.
“Every weekend I learn massively,” he mentioned. “Last week, having a break really helped me to gather information and process it all and recharging the batteries, it was really good.
“The entire qualifying I felt I used to be in a position to make a step lap by lap. I am way more conscious of how one can do a constant warm-up and extract extra out of the tyres however there’s so much to enhance.
“Every weekend I get more confident with the car, can play with it more and explore the limits. At the same time, I can understand more from the set-up and give much better feedback which allows the team to improve the car.”
Congratulated by numerous the game’s main drivers in parc ferme, Antonelli additionally celebrated along with his delighted father, Marco.
Sky Sports activities F1’s Miami GP schedule
Saturday Could 3
- 3.20pm: F1 Academy Qualifying
- 4pm: MIAMI GP SPRINT (race begins at 5pm)
- 6.30pm: Ted’s Dash Pocket book
- 7.50pm: F1 Academy Race 1
- 8.35pm: Miami GP Qualifying build-up*
- 9pm: MIAMI GP QUALIFYING*
- 11pm: Ted’s Qualifying Pocket book*
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Look again at a few of the most dramatic moments to have taken place across the Miami Worldwide Autodrome.
Sunday Could 4
- 6pm: F1 Academy Race 2
- 7.30pm: Grand Prix Sunday: Miami GP build-up*
- 9pm: The MIAMI GRAND PRIX*
- 11pm: Chequered Flag: Miami GP response*
- Midnight: Ted’s Pocket book
*additionally stay on Sky Sports activities Essential Occasion
Formulation 1 is in Miami for a Dash weekend, watch all of it stay on Sky Sports activities F1. Stream Sky Sports activities with NOW – no contract, cancel anytime
