Oscar Piastri will start the Miami Grand Prix in seventh position. This follows a qualifying session that saw Mercedes driver Kimi Antonelli take pole position. Antonelli’s achievement marks his third pole in four grands prix this season.
Antonelli Secures Pole Position
Antonelli secured pole with his first run in final qualifying. A mistake on his final run meant he faced an anxious wait. Max Verstappen, who was third fastest on the first runs, was the only driver to improve on his second attempt in the 33C Miami heat, taking second place, 0.166secs from Antonelli.
McLaren and Ferrari in the Mix
Lando Norris of McLaren, fresh from dominating the sprint earlier on Saturday, qualified fourth. He was behind Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc. Lewis Hamilton, also driving for Ferrari, will start sixth, just ahead of McLaren’s Oscar Piastri.
Weather Concerns Loom Over Miami Grand Prix
The race is scheduled for 21:00 BST on Sunday. However, heavy rain and thunderstorms are forecast throughout the day. F1 officials are meeting to assess the latest forecast and discuss potential schedule changes.
Be sure to keep up to date on the BBC Sport website and app for any race changes because of the weather conditions.
Russell’s Struggles on Low Grip Circuits
Mercedes’ George Russell, who will start fifth, spoke to Sky Sports. He said: “I just struggle on low grip circuits, here, Zandvoort, Brazil. It was the same last year, it’s something I do want to work on but I’d say that there are three tracks that are outliers for me. Miami is definitely one of them.”
He added: “I’m quite a smooth precise driver, that’s always been my style. On these tracks, you’ve just got to be happy with your car sliding. I like being on the edge but you’re going around, oversteering, understeering. It’s the same for everyone, the temperature is high.”
Hamilton Pleased with Upgrades
Ferrari’s Lewis Hamilton, who will start sixth on the grid, said to Sky Sports: “Car was much better in qualifying, so I don’t think we had any issues, so that was the best it has been this weekend.
“We changed the car and I was much, much happier. I wish I had started the weekend with that balance. Q2 was looking really solid and then I got to Q3, I struggled to extrat the most from it.
“I think the team did a great job to bring the upgrades, so incredibly grateful. The other teams are doing different
The FIA and F1 will be making their decisions for tomorrow’s race.