MIAMI GARDENS — Kimi Antonelli claimed pole position for the 2026 Miami Grand Prix after setting a fastest lap of 1 minute 27.798 seconds in qualifying. The 19-year-old Italian, the youngest title race leader in Formula One history, resisted a late charge from four-time champion Max Verstappen to secure his third career pole.

The result marked Antonelli's third pole position in consecutive races, a feat previously achieved only by Ayrton Senna and Michael Schumacher. Verstappen will line up alongside him on the front row, with Lando Norris starting fourth in his McLaren.

"It has been an amazing day for me to be on pole again," Antonelli said after qualifying. "I got a little too excited in that last lap in Q3, but my first lap was good enough."

"I was so stressed because I was waiting for everyone to finish their laps, but it was good enough, and now, hopefully, I will have a magic start tomorrow," he said.

The qualifying session began in high temperatures and windy conditions. Lewis Hamilton set a lap of 1:28.477 in Q1 before Antonelli posted a 1:28.352, while George Russell matched Hamilton's time to take third in that segment. In Q2, Verstappen led the way with a 1:28.116 ahead of Antonelli, Charles Leclerc, Oscar Piastri and Hamilton, with Norris seventh fastest. Piastri and Norris set the early pace on the first runs of Q3 before Antonelli moved to provisional pole, three-tenths of a second clear of Leclerc. The gap between first and fifth in the final segment was measured in hundredths of a second, while Hamilton finished sixth, 0.578 seconds off Antonelli's benchmark. During the session, Verstappen reported over the radio: "My tyres have no grip."

Verstappen, whose Red Bull had undergone revisions during a five-week hiatus that several teams used to introduce upgrade packages, said front-row qualifying exceeded his expectations. "For me to be on the front row is way better than I expected," he said. "The team has worked flat out for the past few weeks to make me more comfortable in this car."

The start of the Grand Prix was brought forward by three hours, to 1pm local time (17:00 GMT) from 4pm local time (20:00 GMT), with the change announced on the eve of the race due to a forecast of extreme weather including potential thunderstorms. The FIA, commercial rights holders and local promoters said in a statement that the decision was taken to ensure the least disruption to the race, to provide the maximum possible window to complete the Grand Prix in good conditions, and to prioritize the safety of drivers, fans, teams and staff.