Rising Star: Kimi Antonelli Makes History in Miami

Italian rookie Kimi Antonelli became the youngest polesitter in any Formula One format by securing pole position at the Miami Grand Prix sprint qualifying. Antonelli beat championship leader Oscar Piastri by 0.045 seconds, while Lando Norris qualified third. Antonelli replaced Lewis Hamilton at Mercedes in January.

Italian rookie Kimi Antonelli made history on Friday by becoming the youngest Formula One polesitter in any format, achieving pole position during the Miami Grand Prix sprint qualifying. At just 18 years old, Antonelli lapped the circuit with a time of one minute 26.482 seconds, narrowly outperforming McLaren's championship leader Oscar Piastri by 0.045 seconds.

Lando Norris secured the third spot for McLaren, while Red Bull's four-time world champion Max Verstappen completed the second row, coinciding with the announcement of becoming a father for the first time. Antonelli expressed his excitement, stating, 'The last lap was mighty. I put everything together. I'm really happy to get the first pole,' referring to his achievement after replacing Lewis Hamilton at Mercedes in January.

Meanwhile, Hamilton, who won the first sprint race of the season in China from pole position for Ferrari, qualified seventh. His Mercedes teammate George Russell will start fifth. The top eight places in the 100km sprint race on Saturday will score points, with Williams' Alex Albon qualifying eighth and French rookie Isack Hadjar ninth for Racing Bulls. Fernando Alonso rounded out the top ten for Aston Martin.

(With inputs from agencies.)