Sprint Qualifying Report & Results 2025 Miami F1 Sprint

Event: Miami Grand Prix
Track: Miami International Autodrome

Weather: 28°C Dry
Tarmac: 45°C Dry
Humidity: 46.0%
Wind: 7.9 km//h

Sunshine, Sweat and Surprise in South Beach

Welcome to Miami, where the glitz of the Magic City met the grit of raw talent during the 2025 Formula 1 Sprint Qualifying. As palm trees swayed and the thermometer flirted with 49°C on track, the stage was set for a showdown—what we got was a statement.

And that statement? Kimi Antonelli has officially arrived.

The 18-year-old Mercedes rookie pulled off a stunner, taking his first ever P1 in F1 and becoming the youngest driver in history to claim a pole position for a Sprint. In a session where experience stumbled and youth rose, Antonelli’s lap of 1m26.482s had jaws dropping from the beach clubs of South Beach to the paddock pit wall.

A Lap Worth Bottling

While most eyes were on McLaren’s dynamic duo of Piastri and Norris—or perhaps Verstappen’s menacing Red Bull pace—it was the quietly consistent Antonelli who seized the moment. Running in clean air when it mattered most, he delivered a lap that looked more Lewis Hamilton circa 2019 than a teenager with no prior mileage around the Miami International Autodrome.

“It was intense. I felt good all day, and I put it all together,” Antonelli said, still stunned, moments after jumping out of the car. Toto Wolff’s grin? Let’s just say, he looked like a man who just found Mercedes’ next world champion.

McLaren Men Keep It Tight

Oscar Piastri, who had dominated FP1 earlier in the day, came closest to ruining Antonelli’s fairytale moment, missing out by just half a tenth. Lando Norris wasn’t far behind in third, and with both papaya cars starting directly behind the rookie on tomorrow’s Sprint grid, Antonelli’s mirrors will be full of orange.

Still, Piastri sounded upbeat. “We’ve got a great car, and it’ll be a fight tomorrow,” he said. “But hats off to Kimi, that was a monster lap.”

Russell Gambles, Verstappen Struggles Late

George Russell went early in SQ3 to avoid potential yellows, but the move backfired as the track evolved rapidly. While his early effort was strong enough for P5, he admitted post-session he “just didn’t feel the grip” in the heat. Verstappen, meanwhile, briefly held P1 before Antonelli blitzed his lap. The Dutchman ended up fourth—not disastrous, but a reminder that Red Bull’s one-lap edge may be fading under pressure.

Midfield Magic and Misses

There were other strong stories in the top 10—Charles Leclerc snatched P6 from Lewis Hamilton by two tenths, with Alex Albon once again proving Williams' resurgence is no fluke by finishing seventh. Red Bull’s Isack Hadjar impressed in eighth, with Hamilton and Fernando Alonso rounding out the top 10.

Notably, this is now Hamilton’s second Sprint weekend in a row where he’s been out-qualified by a rookie teammate. Ferrari fans might feel a bit of déjà vu after Shanghai.

Sainz & Stroll Among the Fallen

It wasn’t smooth sailing for everyone. Carlos Sainz was one of the high-profile exits in SQ2, locking up and heading into the run-off at Turn 11. Others to fall in the middle segment included Hulkenberg, Gasly, Ocon, and Lawson.

And in SQ1, traffic chaos and poor timing saw Yuki Tsunoda, Jack Doohan, Gabriel Bortoleto, and Ollie Bearman eliminated. Astonishingly, Bearman didn’t even get across the line in time to start his final flying lap—a painful exit after his crash in FP1 already disrupted his rhythm.

Heat, Hustle & History

The sweltering Miami sun baked the tarmac, and with a soft tyre allocation from Pirelli, managing grip and timing was critical. Teams like McLaren and Mercedes timed their runs to perfection. Red Bull? Not so much.

The mix of youth and experience battling for every tenth proved once again that Sprint weekends throw up surprises. And with Antonelli’s landmark pole and clean air ahead of him, the big question now is: can the kid hold off the hungry pack in tomorrow’s Sprint?

Final Word: Rookie vs Veterans

Antonelli’s pole wasn't just a headline—it was a warning. The new generation isn’t waiting for permission to arrive. If tomorrow’s Sprint is anything like today’s qualifying, we could be looking at the start of a brand new storyline in 2025.

1:27.641 was the pole position lap time of last qualifying session in 2024. This lap time was driven by Max Verstappen with the Red Bull RB20.

Sprint Quali Times 2025 Miami GP

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