Miami Grand Prix Qualifying: Lewis Hamilton Exits Early as Verstappen Claims Pole and McLaren Misses Out…read more

Miami Grand Prix Qualifying: Lewis Hamilton Exits Early as Verstappen Claims Pole and McLaren Misses Out

Lewis Hamilton faced a tough qualifying session at the Miami Grand Prix, bowing out in Q2 after a critical error at Turn 17. The Ferrari driver was unable to recover from the mistake, which effectively ended his hopes of competing for a front-row spot. Even without the mishap, Hamilton appeared unlikely to challenge for pole, with teammate Charles Leclerc only managing eighth on the grid.

Red Bull’s Max Verstappen delivered a commanding performance to claim pole position with a time of 1:26.204. The Dutchman edged out both McLaren drivers, with Lando Norris taking second spot just 0.065 seconds behind. Norris had been in strong form following his Sprint Race win earlier in the day, and comfortably outpaced teammate Oscar Piastri, who qualified fourth.

One of the most notable performances came from Mercedes’ young talent Kimi Antonelli. The Italian continued to impress in Miami, qualifying third and once again finishing ahead of his more experienced teammate George Russell, who settled for fifth. Antonelli had already secured a maiden pole in Friday’s Sprint Qualifying and is rapidly making a name for himself in the top tier of motorsport.

Williams also had a strong showing, with Carlos Sainz and Alex Albon securing sixth and seventh respectively. Albon, however, drew the attention of the stewards after an incident in Q1 where he appeared to force his way into the pit lane exit queue, nearly causing a collision with Racing Bulls’ Isack Hadjar. The incident is under investigation and may lead to further action.

Leclerc, as mentioned, will start eighth for Ferrari, ahead of Esteban Ocon in ninth for Haas and Yuki Tsunoda, who rounded out the top ten in the second Red Bull.

Those eliminated in Q2 included Racing Bulls rookie Isack Hadjar, who narrowly missed out on Q3 in 11th. Hamilton followed in 12th, marking a disappointing result for the seven-time world champion. Sauber’s Gabriel Bortoleto, Alpine’s Jack Doohan, and Liam Lawson of Racing Bulls also failed to progress to Q3, finishing 13th through 15th respectively.

Q1 saw some experienced names exit early. Sauber’s Nico Hulkenberg was knocked out in 16th, followed by veteran Fernando Alonso in the Aston Martin. His teammate Lance Stroll also struggled and could only manage 19th. Alpine’s Pierre Gasly and Haas rookie Ollie Bearman were also unable to advance, rounding out the bottom five.

The Formula 1 qualifying format is structured into three distinct stages. Q1 lasts 18 minutes, during which all 20 drivers attempt to set their best lap time. The five slowest drivers are eliminated and take positions 16 through 20 on the starting grid. Q2 then runs for 15 minutes, with the remaining 15 drivers aiming for a spot in the top 10. The next five slowest are eliminated, filling positions 11 through 15. Finally, Q3 features a 12-minute shootout among the top 10 qualifiers to determine pole position and the front rows of the grid.

With Verstappen on pole and McLaren close behind, Sunday’s race promises an exciting battle at the front — and all eyes will be on how Hamilton recovers from another underwhelming Saturday.