Miami - Qualifying

Lando Norris took the win in the sprint, as the previously dominant Mercedes struggled further down the order. The team that had seemed to be on its way towards a season to remember did not look as steady during the sprint. Did the qualifying put them back on the right track? 

While Gabriel Bortoleto waited outside his Audi, the other drivers went out on track and started their flying laps. Max Verstappen set a benchmark for his competitors to aim for. It ended up being too high for any of them to reach on their first attempt. Kimi Antonelli wasn't far behind the Dutchman, but his teammate tumbled down the order, ending up almost a second slower than the Italian. This meant that a lot was on the line for George Russell as he set off on his second lap. Having completed it, he did jump in the leaderboard, enough to be safe, but not enough to end up anywhere near Antonelli. With a few minutes left in the session, Bortoleto joined the track, but the lap time he managed put him at the tail end of the grid. Meanwhile, at the front, Antonelli completed the quickest lap of all, followed by Charles Leclerc, who set his lap on 11-lap-old tires. Arvid Linblad, Fernando Alonso, Lance Stroll, Gabriel Bottas, and Sergio Perez joined Bortoleto in the elimination zone. 

The start of Q2 was delayed since Brotoleto's breaks caught fire towards the tail end of the first session. After it began, it was once again Verstappen who set the time to beat. His attempt was beaten by that of Antonelli. Although the Italian improved during his second flying lap, Verstappen was even quicker, finishing the session at the very top. This time, it was Nico Hulkenberg, Liam Lawson, Oliver Bearman, Carlos Sainz, Esteban Ocon, and Alex Albon who made up the bottom six.

The fight for pole was close and dramatic. Each driver was quicker than the last, stealing the position from each other's hands. Once all drivers had set their first times, it was Antonelli who sat on top, with Leclerc and Verstappen close behind. The Italian made a big mistake on his second attempt and thus could not improve, opening the doors for someone else to take advantage and slide into the front row. Although they all tried, no one could beat Antonelli's effort. As the clock ticked down to zero, his provisional pole converted into a real one. 

Order of the grid:

1. Kimi Antonelli

2. Max Verstappen

3. Charles Leclerc

4. Lando Norris

5. George Russell

6. Lewis Hamilton

7. Oscar Piastri

8. Franco Colapinto

9. Isack Hadjar

10. Pierre Gasly

11. Nico Hulkenberg

12. Liam Lawson

13. Oliver Bearman

14. Carlos Sainz

15. Esteban Ocon

16. Alex Albon

17. Arvid Lindblad

18. Fernando Alonso

19. Lance Stroll

20. Valtteri Bottas

21. Sergio Perez

22. Gabriel Bortoleto