Kimi Antonelli has etched his name alongside Formula 1 legends Michael Schumacher and Ayrton Senna after claiming his third consecutive pole position at the Miami Grand Prix. 
The Mercedes teenager topped qualifying for the third straight race weekend, matching a feat achieved by Senna (65 poles) in 1985 and Schumacher (68) in 1994. “It definitely feels good,” said championship leader Antonelli, reflecting on his pole streak.
The 19-year-old Italian’s primary focus for the Florida race is a clean start, having struggled off the line early in his F1 career. In the sprint race, he dropped from second to fifth on the opening lap. Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff attributed the issue to a clutch calibration error by the team, not the driver.
“Hopefully it works out magically. It would be nice not to lose positions, but we’ll give it our best,” Antonelli commented. Mercedes has endured a challenging weekend, with rivals bringing major upgrade packages to the U.S., while the team plans significant car improvements only at the Canadian Grand Prix in three weeks.
Wolff praised Antonelli’s qualifying performance: “The first lap was truly special. He was three-tenths or more ahead of the next driver. Spectacular. That secured the pole.” He added that on the next fast lap, “typical Kimi” tried too hard and fluffed it.
Max Verstappen, meanwhile, secured his best qualifying result of the season with second place on the grid. 
The four-time world champion and Red Bull are showing signs of recovery after a disappointing start to the season. “The car hasn’t been good in recent races, and I never felt comfortable with the setup. But the team has worked hard on upgrades, and now I’m getting the car back under control,” Verstappen said. “The upgrades are working. I finally see light at the end of the tunnel.”