When it comes down to it, Max Verstappen is always good for a top performance. In (dry) qualifying to the Grand Prix of Miami 2025, the Red Bull Pilot secured the pole position, despite the favorite position of the two McLaren pilots. Verstappen ultimately referred Lando Norris (McLaren) and Andrea Kimi Antonelli (Mercedes) to places 2 and 3.
After the first Q3 run it smelled after a thousandth of thriller. Verstappen led the field, with a time of 1: 26,492 minutes, 0.003 seconds before Norris and 0.017 seconds before Oscar Piatri (McLaren).
“The round of Verstappen was incredible. I would not have expected that,” Servustv expert Christian Klien sensed a surprise. At the same time, however, he also dawned: “Norris braked in the last curve. I think that more comes from McLaren.”
But Verstappen, despite an uncleanliness in the first sector, increased again to 1: 26.204 minutes – a time when both Norris and Piatri bite their teeth. After the fastest minisectors, Norris was even on pole course before Verstappen, but at the end of the round he was missing 0.065 seconds: 2nd place.
Andrea Kimi Antonelli (Mercedes), who, like in sprint qualifying, unpacked a strong round on Friday, came third. So he left Piatri, his teammate George Russell and the surprisingly strongly placed Williams drivers Carlos Sainz and Alexander Albon, who became sixth and seventh.
The top 10 rounded Charles Leclerc (Ferrari), Esteban Ocon (Haas) and Yuki Tsunoda (Red Bull). Lewis Hamilton (Ferrari) was already eliminated in Q2, as twelfth. Nico Hülkenberg (clean) had caught it in Q1 (16th).
Why Q1 was a tremor for Hamilton
Q1 was exciting up to the last minute. After an unclean first attempt, Hamilton was only in 16th place when he started his quick round, and was accordingly under great pressure. But in the very last attempt he pushed in 8th place, 0.409 seconds behind the best time of Verstappen and 0.138 seconds ahead of teammate Leclerc, who also made the cut twelfth.
In the end, it did not catch any of the very big stars at the beginning of Miami qualifying. Nico Hülkenberg (clean) was 16th, 0.023 seconds behind Esteban Ocon (Haas). Together with Germans, Fernando Alonso (Aston Martin), Pierre Gasly (Alpine), Lance Stroll (Aston Martin) and Oliver Bearman (Haas) were leaving.
Interesting the tactics of the two Mercedes pilots, which showed positions 4 (Russell) and 6 (Antonelli) in Q1. Because both broke off their first round and came to the box despite acceptable intermediate times. The radio traffic reveals: Russell had driven across parts and his team was concerned about tire damage. Antonelli, on the other hand, had the feeling that the lap time would not be good enough anyway.
Q2: This time Russell trembles – but Hamilton flies out!
Before the all -important second run in Q2, Russell was eleventh. This would have left the Mercedes driver at the time. “I have zero trust in the car, buddy,” he said on the box radio, and: “No grip, I slide everywhere.” Although he also complained about too high tire temperatures after his second round, he certainly made the top 10 feeder with 3rd place.
It caught in Q2 Hamilton, whose luck was apparently used up after the tremor in Q1. He was still on top 10 course after the first round, but was not able to increase sufficiently in the second attempt and slipped to 12th place, 0.039 seconds behind the cut-off time of Ocon.
Isack Hadjar (Racing Bulls) was still on P11 between Ocon and Hamilton. 13. Gabriel Bortoleto (clean), ahead of Jack Doohan (Alpine) and Liam Lawson (Racing Bulls). After his second round, Doohan raged over the “damn Ferrari”, who stood in his way and scolded the disability a “joke”.