15 hours ago
15
Miami Grand Prix
Venue: Miami International Autodrome Dates: 2-4 May Race start: 21:00 BST on Sunday
Coverage: Live commentary of practice and qualifying online and BBC Radio 5 Sports Extra; race on BBC Radio 5 Live and live text updates on BBC Sport website and app
Mercedes driver Andrea Kimi Antonelli became the youngest driver to take a Formula 1 pole position for the sprint event at the Miami Grand Prix.
The 18-year-old beat McLaren's Oscar Piastri, the championship leader, by 0.045 seconds. The second McLaren of Lando Norris was third ahead of Red Bull's Max Verstappen.
Antonelli's team-mate George Russell was fifth fastest, 0.309secs slower than the Italian rookie.
It was an outstanding performance from Antonelli, the first time he has beaten Russell in qualifying this season, and the first time he has shown a glimpse of the huge potential Mercedes believed they saw in him when they chose him to replace Lewis Hamilton for this year.
Antonelli has taken a steady approach to the start of his career but had looked sure-footed and accomplished from the start of practice and carried that form into qualifying.
"I am over the moon," he said. "I did not expect it.
"I was feeling good in the car. I was able to improve lap by lap and find that consistency and that gap came all together. I am super happy with that. We will enjoy this moment but I want to focus on tomorrow because I really want to try to repeat myself."
Antonelli embraced his father Marco in the Mercedes garage as the team celebrated his achievement wildly.
"It was really nice and also to find him in the garage after qualifying," Antonelli added.
"I am super-happy to share this moment with him. It is so important to me, he is like a rock. I can always rely on him. I would like to share it with my mum and sister as well but hopefully next time."
Starting the sprint from pole gives him a big opportunity to convert it into a first win, given the power of clear air in F1.
Antonelli's previous highest grid position this season was third in the last race in Saudi Arabia, although his qualifying result position has improved in every session so far this season.
His impressive 0.309secs margin over Russell came despite the Briton joining Verstappen in being the only driver to use two sets of tyres over two runs in the final session. Everyone else waited in the pits while they went out and did just one lap.
The idea behind the strategy, which is tight in terms of planning because of the fast turnaround needed in the pits after the first lap, is to allow the driver to record a 'banker' lap and then go all out on the second.
But it worked for neither. Russell did not improve on his second lap, and while Verstappen did, he was 0.255secs slower than Antonelli and 0.21secs off Piastri.
Hamilton, who won the first sprint of the season in China from pole position, was seventh fastest, one place behind team-mate Charles Leclerc. It was an improvement for Hamilton after a dire past three races, but he was still 0.222secs off his team-mate.
Williams' Alex Albon, Racing Bulls' Isack Hadjar and Aston Martin's Fernando Alonso completed the top 10, only the second time his team has made it that high up this season, after team-mate Lance Stroll achieved it in the sprint in China.
Albon's team-mate Carlos Sainz should also have been in the top 10 but he made a mistake on his final lap in the second session and will line up 15th.
Verstappen's team-mate Yuki Tsunoda was knocked out in the first session and will start the sprint 18th.
