
Max Verstappen hit back from his point-less Sprint to upstage McLaren again in qualifying to head the grid for Sunday’s Miami Grand Prix ahead of Lando Norris.
The world champion, who became a father for the first time earlier this week, reproduced his Q3 heroics from Suzuka and Jeddah to deliver his third pole position of the year just hours after failing to score any points in the short-form Sprint having been penalised when he collided with Kimi Antonelli following a Red Bull pit-stop blunder.
A mistake from Norris on his final lap at Turn 17, when his car became unsettled over the kerb, may have cost him at least the 0.065s that Verstappen won pole by. The Briton was still two places ahead of championship leader Oscar Piastri, who dropped to fourth on the final laps.
That is because Sprint polesitter Antonelli continued his fine weekend to take third – the Italian teenager finishing just 0.002s shy of Norris’ front-row berth.
Piastri, who leads Norris by a reduced margin of nine points after his team-mate’s fortuitous win in the Sprint, is fourth ahead of Mercedes’ George Russell.
But there was fresh disappointment for underperforming Ferrari.
Just hours after finishing in the top three for the second successive Sprint this season, Lewis Hamilton’s qualifying woes returned as he qualified 12th in what marked the first Q2 exit of his Ferrari career.
Charles Leclerc made it through to the final stage in Q3 but was only able to manage eighth fastest from there.
It meant Ferrari were not only outqualified by all their usual front-running rivals but Williams too – who took impressive sixth and seventh places with Carlos Sainz and Alex Albon respectively.
More to follow…
Sky Sports F1’s Miami GP schedule
Sunday May 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 reaction*
- Midnight: Ted’s Notebook
*also live on Sky Sports Main Event
Formula 1 is in Miami for a Sprint weekend, watch it all live on Sky Sports F1. Stream Sky Sports with NOW – no contract, cancel anytime
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