Kimi Antonelli took pole for the 2026 Miami Grand Prix, making it three poles in a row in Grand Prix qualifying, sharing the front row with Max Verstappen, ahead of Leclerc and Norris. Russell and Hamilton line up on row three, ahead of Piastri, Colapinto, Hadjar and Gasly.
What To Know
- Kimi Antonelli took pole, his third in a row. He joined Ayrton Senna and Michael Schumacher in having claimed the first three pole positions of his career at three successive races.
- Four different teams in the top four
- Eliminated in Q1: Lindblad, Alonso, Stroll, Bottas, Perez, Bortoleto
- Eliminated in Q2: Hulkenberg, Lawson, Bearman, Sainz, Ocon, Albon
- Bortoleto’s brakes caught fire, forcing him to stop out on track
With Antonelli underlining his growing authority in Formula 1, the Mercedes driver’s 1m 27.798s effort proved decisive — not only securing his third consecutive pole, but also reinforcing his status as a central figure in the unfolding 2026 F1 World Championship battle.
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Antonelli had been a constant presence at the top of the timesheets throughout Qualifying, and while he was unable to improve on his final Q3 run, his earlier lap remained untouchable. Verstappen came agonisingly close to denying him at the death, lighting up the timing screens with rapid sector times before falling short by just over a tenth. That left the Red Bull driver to settle for second, lining up alongside Antonelli on the front row, with Leclerc completing the top three for Ferrari.
2026 Miami Grand Prix Qualifying Results
2026 Miami Grand Prix Qualifying, 2 May 2026
| Pos. | No. | Driver | Team | Q1 | Q2 | Q3 | Laps |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 12 | Kimi Antonelli | Mercedes | 1:28.653 | 1:28.289 | 1:27.798 | 17 |
| 2 | 3 | Max Verstappen | Red Bull Racing | 1:29.099 | 1:28.116 | 1:27.964 | 15 |
| 3 | 16 | Charles Leclerc | Ferrari | 1:28.938 | 1:28.315 | 1:28.143 | 21 |
| 4 | 1 | Lando Norris | McLaren | 1:29.183 | 1:28.920 | 1:28.183 | 20 |
| 5 | 63 | George Russell | Mercedes | 1:29.492 | 1:28.477 | 1:28.197 | 18 |
| 6 | 44 | Lewis Hamilton | Ferrari | 1:29.483 | 1:28.477 | 1:28.319 | 21 |
| 7 | 81 | Oscar Piastri | McLaren | 1:29.920 | 1:28.332 | 1:28.500 | 20 |
| 8 | 43 | Franco Colapinto | Alpine | 1:29.584 | 1:28.975 | 1:28.762 | 19 |
| 9 | 6 | Isack Hadjar | Red Bull Racing | 1:29.324 | 1:28.941 | 1:28.789 | 21 |
| 10 | 10 | Pierre Gasly | Alpine | 1:29.914 | 1:29.070 | 1:28.810 | 20 |
| 11 | 27 | Nico Hulkenberg | Audi | 1:29.645 | 1:29.439 | 14 | |
| 12 | 30 | Liam Lawson | Racing Bulls | 1:29.595 | 1:29.499 | 14 | |
| 13 | 87 | Oliver Bearman | Haas F1 Team | 1:29.340 | 1:29.567 | 12 | |
| 14 | 55 | Carlos Sainz | Williams | 1:29.540 | 1:29.568 | 15 | |
| 15 | 31 | Esteban Ocon | Haas F1 Team | 1:29.838 | 1:29.772 | 15 | |
| 16 | 23 | Alexander Albon | Williams | 1:29.720 | 1:29.946 | 15 | |
| 17 | 41 | Arvid Lindblad | Racing Bulls | 1:30.133 | 9 | ||
| 18 | 14 | Fernando Alonso | Aston Martin | 1:31.098 | 8 | ||
| 19 | 18 | Lance Stroll | Aston Martin | 1:31.164 | 9 | ||
| 20 | 77 | Valtteri Bottas | Cadillac | 1:31.629 | 9 | ||
| 21 | 11 | Sergio Perez | Cadillac | 1:31.967 | 9 | ||
| 22 | 5 | Gabriel Bortoleto | Audi | 1:33.737 | 3 |
McLaren recover, Mercedes split, and midfield fight intensifies
Behind the leading trio, Lando Norris recovered impressively from a boost-related issue to secure fourth place, despite both he and Oscar Piastri — who qualified seventh — coming perilously close to elimination earlier in the session. George Russell endured a frustrating evening in fifth for Mercedes, just ahead of Lewis Hamilton in sixth.
Alpine continued their quietly impressive form, placing Franco Colapinto eighth and Pierre Gasly tenth, with Red Bull’s Isack Hadjar splitting them in ninth. Just outside the top 10, Nico Hulkenberg bounced back from his Sprint DNS to take 11th for Audi, ahead of Liam Lawson and Ollie Bearman.
Q1 drama: Narrow escapes and mechanical setbacks
The opening segment set the tone for an unpredictable session, with shifting conditions and tight margins immediately putting drivers under pressure. Early benchmark laps saw Verstappen lead with a 1m 29.099s, narrowly ahead of Norris, before Antonelli surged into contention.
Wind conditions — including a noticeable tailwind — added complexity, while tyre strategy also played a role as most drivers began on used softs. Oscar Piastri endured a tense moment as he dropped toward the elimination zone, ultimately scraping through in P16 after Arvid Lindblad narrowly missed out on progressing.
At the back, it was a difficult session for Aston Martin, with Fernando Alonso and Lance Stroll eliminated alongside Cadillac drivers Valtteri Bottas and Sergio Perez. Gabriel Bortoleto brought a dramatic end to Q1 when a brake fire forced him to abandon his Audi after completing a late lap.
Q2 tension: Wind, errors and last-lap recoveries
After a brief delay to clear Bortoleto’s stricken car, Q2 resumed with renewed intensity. Verstappen initially looked strong but complained about tyre performance, while Ferrari pair Hamilton and Leclerc briefly took control of the session.
Antonelli once again asserted himself with a P1 time, as Russell slotted into the top three to complete a strong showing for Mercedes. Further down, Alpine’s consistency continued with both drivers comfortably inside the top 10, while Norris recovered from a snap and confusion over wind conditions — initially mistaking it for a deployment issue — to stay in contention.
As gusts of up to 25kph at Turn 11 challenged drivers, the final runs proved decisive. Verstappen reclaimed the top spot with a 1m 28.116s, Leclerc followed in third, and Norris climbed from ninth to seventh to secure progression. Hulkenberg narrowly missed out in 11th, with Carlos Sainz, Bearman and Esteban Ocon also eliminated, while Alex Albon voiced frustration after ending up 16th.
Q3 showdown: Antonelli seals it with a statement lap
The final segment unfolded as a high-stakes battle of execution, with drivers delaying their runs to maximise track evolution. Norris initially set the pace despite earlier technical concerns, only for Verstappen to edge ahead by a mere 0.002s. Leclerc then raised the bar again — but all were eclipsed by Antonelli’s sensational 1m 27.798s, the fastest lap of the weekend.
Despite failing to improve on his final attempt, Antonelli’s earlier effort held firm as no rival could match it. Verstappen fell short by 0.166s, securing second, while Leclerc was pushed back to third at the last moment. Norris completed the second row in fourth, ahead of Russell and Hamilton.
Piastri ultimately settled for seventh, over seven-tenths off the pole time, while Alpine maintained their strong form with Colapinto and Gasly finishing eighth and tenth respectively, split by Hadjar in ninth.
2026 Miami Grand Prix Starting Grid
The Grand Prix starting grid, with or without penalties, after the 2026 Miami Grand Prix Qualifying session.
| Pos. | No. | Driver | Team | Quali Time |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 12 | Kimi Antonelli | Mercedes | 1:27.798 |
| 2 | 3 | Max Verstappen | Red Bull Racing | 1:27.964 |
| 3 | 16 | Charles Leclerc | Ferrari | 1:28.143 |
| 4 | 1 | Lando Norris | McLaren | 1:28.183 |
| 5 | 63 | George Russell | Mercedes | 1:28.197 |
| 6 | 44 | Lewis Hamilton | Ferrari | 1:28.319 |
| 7 | 81 | Oscar Piastri | McLaren | 1:28.500 |
| 8 | 43 | Franco Colapinto | Alpine | 1:28.762 |
| 9 | 6 | Isack Hadjar | Red Bull Racing | 1:28.789 |
| 10 | 10 | Pierre Gasly | Alpine | 1:28.810 |
| 11 | 27 | Nico Hulkenberg | Audi | 1:29.439 |
| 12 | 30 | Liam Lawson | Racing Bulls | 1:29.499 |
| 13 | 87 | Oliver Bearman | Haas F1 Team | 1:29.567 |
| 14 | 55 | Carlos Sainz | Williams | 1:29.568 |
| 15 | 31 | Esteban Ocon | Haas F1 Team | 1:29.772 |
| 16 | 23 | Alexander Albon | Williams | 1:29.946 |
| 17 | 41 | Arvid Lindblad | Racing Bulls | 1:30.133 |
| 18 | 14 | Fernando Alonso | Aston Martin | 1:31.098 |
| 19 | 18 | Lance Stroll | Aston Martin | 1:31.164 |
| 20 | 77 | Valtteri Bottas | Cadillac | 1:31.629 |
| 21 | 11 | Sergio Perez | Cadillac | 1:31.967 |
| 22 | 5 | Gabriel Bortoleto | Audi | 1:33.737 |
Race Guide
Race weekend: 1 May 2026 – 3 May 2026
Race date: Sunday, 3 May 2026
Race start time: 16:00 local time
Circuit: Miami International Autodrome
Laps: 57
Circuit length: 5.412km
2025 winner: Oscar Piastri
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