Qualifying in Miami sees Max Verstappen take pole position. The Dutchman is still uncatchable on the flying lap, not even the McLaren can do nothing against him. Norris then stops in second place on the grid, followed however by a great Kimi Antonelli, who manages to snatch third place from Oscar Piastri. The Ferraris, on the other hand, do very badly. Hamilton stops in Q2, while Leclerc must settle for eighth place.
Miami Qualifying Begins: Bortoleto Tops Q1
Start postponed by 15 minutes the qualification in Miami, due to the delay accumulated thanks to the rain that broke out shortly before the sprint racing. The first to take to the track is Nico Hulkenberg, ready to try to set a time that will allow him to at least get past the Q1 trap. After him, all the others are immediately on the track, with Piastri, Verstappen and Norris who take over the first three positions. Both they, already protagonists in the sprint, and almost all the other drivers took to the track with used tyres. Probably, to complete the first running-in laps to regain confidence with the completely dry track.
The performance is confirmed to be quite good. Williams, who with seven minutes to go in the first session is in second position with Sainz and in fourth with Alexander albon. The track, however, is undergoing a notable transformation, with the asphalt becoming increasingly rubberized, guaranteeing greater grip. The track is having difficulty Ferrari, who with five minutes to go is still in eleventh position with Leclerc and in fifteenth with Hamilton, who made a mistake by running into a blockage at the hairpin before the finish line.
Q1 is almost over, with McLaren, Verstappen and Mercedes confirming themselves as the fastest on the track. The track is getting faster and faster and the fight to avoid elimination is getting tough, given the very close gaps. Leclerc, in his last attempt, only sets the ninth time, which he immediately climbs one position after the good lap of Hadjar. Hamilton also takes the lead, finishing his lap in eighth position. Excellent performance then also by Bortoleto, who gets to Q2 with his Sauber. Good also Doohan, who beats Gasly eliminated. With the Frenchman, Hulkenberg, Alonso, Stroll and, lastly, Bearman also leave the qualifying.
Ferrari's difficulties continue: Lewis Hamilton eliminated in Q2
The first to take to the track is Max Verstappen, with his Red Bull number 1. In addition to the world champion, almost all the other fifteen drivers took to the track with the new soft tyre. Those who opted for the used tyre were George Russell, which however does not go beyond eleventh place. In fact, Mercedes shows some more difficulties than the sprint qualifications of yesterday. In the meantime, McLaren takes the stage, with Oscar piastri who once again prevails ahead of his teammate, Lando Norris. The Australian, among other things, has already beaten the track record set yesterday by Kimi Antonelli, thanks to a good 1:26.269.
The excellent performance of the team continues Williams, who with six minutes to go occupies fifth and sixth position with Albon and Sainz. Instead, those called to do better are the Ferrari, who before the final attempt of this Q2 are in seventh and eighth position, with many difficulties highlighted especially in the slow corners. Hamilton, however, is unable to improve and finishes Q2 in twelfth position, also due to the same mistake made previously in Q1. He is accompanied by Hadjar, Bortoleto, Doohan and Lawson. He accesses Q3 Esteban Ocon thanks to a brilliant performance.
Pole position and track record for Max Verstappen
Worrying the situation at Ferrari. Leclerc, shortly before the start of Q3, opened up on the radio saying that not being able to go faster than what was done in the previous session. Meanwhile, the drivers are getting ready to exit the pit lane. The first to show up at the green light is still Max Verstappen, followed closely by the two McLarens. They are, in fact, the favorites for the first three positions, while the others all seem a bit far away. In fact, after the first attempt they are the ones who form the provisional podium, with the Dutchman who temporarily imposed himself with the first time. Leclerc, however, returns to the pits, aborting the lap due to an error.
With two minutes to go, the drivers all get back on track to try their hand at the second attempt at Q3. The first to launch themselves are the three protagonists of this qualifying session in Miami. However, nothing can be done for the McLarens, who once again prevail Max Verstappen, who proved uncatchable in qualifying by setting a 1:26.204, thus conquering the pole number 43 and marking the new track record. Second position for Norris, who made a mistake on the turn before the finish line. Behind him, however, still imposes himself Kimi Antonelli, who snatches third place from Oscar Piastri. Fifth Russell, who for the first time is beaten by his very young teammate. Excellent qualifying for the Williams, which ends with Sainz sixth and Albon seventh. Only eighth Leclerc, who leaves Ocon and Tsunoda behind him.
