2026 Qualifying Report & Results Miami F1 Grand Prix

Event: Miami Grand Prix
Track: Miami International Autodrome

Weather: 27°C Sunny & Dry
Tarmac: 39°C Dry
Humidity : 65%
Wind : 7.2 km//h

Kimi Antonelli qualified as quickest for the 3rd time in his F1 career and scored his first pole position at Miami for tomorrow's 5th Miami grand prix. It was his third pole of the season and the 149th pole in total for Mercedes F1 team.

Antonelli Seizes Miami F1 Pole

Mercedes teenager strikes back after Sprint setback

Kimi Antonelli delivered the perfect response to a scrappy Miami Sprint by storming to pole position for the 2026 F1 Miami Grand Prix, beating Max Verstappen and Charles Leclerc in a tense qualifying session that left four different teams inside the top four.

The Mercedes rookie produced a superb 1m 27.798s on his first Q3 run, then survived a messy final attempt and a late Verstappen charge to secure another pole. It was enough by 0.166s, with , and McLaren all breathing down Mercedes’ neck.

After losing ground at the start in the Sprint and later dropping to sixth with a track limits penalty, Antonelli needed a clean answer. He found one when it mattered.

Verstappen finds light after Red Bull upgrades

Verstappen’s second place was arguably Red Bull’s most encouraging result of the season so far. The Dutchman has looked uncomfortable with the RB22 in recent races, but Miami’s upgrade package appears to have given him a car he can finally lean on.

He topped Q1, showed strong pace again in Q2, and was the only driver to seriously threaten Antonelli at the end of Q3. It was not quite enough for pole, but after Red Bull’s difficult opening rounds, a front-row start is a significant step.

Verstappen admitted the car had not felt right in previous races, but said the updates had finally allowed him to push with confidence again. That will worry the rest.

Ferrari and McLaren stay firmly in the fight

Leclerc will start third for Ferrari after another sharp qualifying performance, while Sprint winner Lando Norris lines up fourth for McLaren. That creates a fascinating top four: Mercedes, Red Bull, Ferrari and McLaren all covered at the sharp end.

Ferrari’s upgraded car looks better, if not yet fully there. Leclerc said the package had helped, but made clear Ferrari still need more pace. Even so, third on the grid gives him a real platform, especially if the weather turns.

Norris had looked like the man to beat after taking Sprint pole and controlling the Sprint from the front, but McLaren could not quite repeat that dominance in Grand Prix qualifying. Oscar Piastri had an untidy session and starts seventh, behind George Russell and Lewis Hamilton.

Piastri survives Q1 scare as Audi suffer fire drama

Piastri’s qualifying nearly unravelled early. The Australian only just scraped through Q1 in 16th, with McLaren dealing with what appeared to be an issue on his car. His dry humour on the radio summed it up after being told he was “safely” through: “Safely is an ambitious word.”

Audi had a far worse time. Gabriel Bortoleto’s brakes caught fire after the team tried to send him out late in Q1, forcing him to stop on track. Nico Hulkenberg, who had already missed the Sprint with a power unit issue, later dropped out in Q2.

Bortoleto ended up last, behind Sergio Perez, Valtteri Bottas, Lance Stroll, Fernando Alonso and in the Q1 elimination zone.

Rain could turn Miami into chaos

The biggest twist may still be coming. The forecast for Sunday points towards rain, and the drivers have barely any meaningful wet-weather experience with these new 2026 cars. Aside from a few damp laps in Barcelona during shakedown running, this could be a leap into the unknown.

That puts extra pressure on Antonelli. His raw speed is not in question, but his starts remain a weak point. He lost out badly in the Sprint and will have Verstappen alongside him into Turn 1 tomorrow. That is not exactly the gentlest way to practise race management.

Behind them, Leclerc, Norris, Russell, Hamilton, Piastri, Franco Colapinto, Isack Hadjar and Pierre Gasly complete the top ten. If the rain arrives, Miami could quickly shift from strategic one-stopper to full-blown survival test.

Antonelli has the pole. Verstappen has momentum. Ferrari and McLaren are close enough to pounce. Now Miami waits for the weather.

Qualifying Times 2026 Miami GP

1:26.204 was the pole position lap time of last years qualifying session for the GP set by Max Verstappen with the Red Bull RB21.

✅ Check out our 2026 Miami Formula 1 Grand Prix preview.

About the author

Leopold

Leopold Pleijsier founded F1-Fansite.com in 2001 and has followed Formula 1 since the early 1980s. He writes about daily F1 news, race weekends, drivers and the sport’s history.

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