Andrea Kimi Antonelli brings an Italian back to pole position in a Formula 1 race. It’s a Sprint and not a Grand Prix, but the result achieved on Friday in Miami highlights the adaptability of the young talent from Bologna, as well as Mercedes’ growth over the past twelve months. McLaren secured second and third place, capitalizing on Red Bull and Max Verstappen’s strategic error, despite being threatening throughout the day. Ferrari, on the other hand, finds itself once again the fourth-best team, hindered by issues that go beyond simple ride height management.
Kimi Antonelli’s magic
Some decisions make a difference, and the one taken by the Italian side of the Mercedes garage was one of them. In Miami, the Silver Arrows reached Q3 without ever trying the soft compound, focusing instead on race simulations with the medium tyres during the only free practice session. This was a notable disadvantage, considering how difficult tyres are to understand in modern Formula 1 and how their preparation lap often requires multiple attempts to optimize.
George Russell opted to go out immediately with Max Verstappen, ensuring he completed a lap without interruptions but missing the chance to take advantage of the best track conditions in the final minutes. Antonelli chose the opposite: he saved his new tyre set for the last moments, maximizing the evolving track, which was dirty and constantly changing all day. Despite lacking prior reference with the soft compound, the Italian immediately put together a top-tier lap, showing excellent tyre preparation as well.
Kimi Antonelli showcased the strength of a solid Mercedes, running so low to the ground that Albon—watching closely behind the W16 in Q2—wondered how the car could even be legal. The Silver Arrow proved fast on the straights, gaining some efficiency with a new rear wing setup introduced in Miami. More importantly, Mercedes now manages rear tyre overheating well—something already seen in Bahrain—and in Florida, it managed to limit its deficit in the twisty second sector. This marks a significant turnaround compared to a year ago when the Silver Arrows were knocked out in Q2 on Friday and were 8 tenths off the pace on Saturday.
Max Verstappen challenges McLaren
Fourth place in Sprint Qualifying feels like a missed opportunity for the world champion, who looked capable of challenging the McLarens throughout the day. This time, however, Red Bull got the strategy wrong, repeating the double-run plan in Q3, which left Verstappen on used tyres during the key final minutes. It’s hard to say how things might’ve gone with a different approach, but the Verstappen-RB21 duo showed strong potential, despite having just one free practice session and dealing with a new floor. The goal for the rest of the weekend will be to better balance performance across sectors, with the Dutchman currently extremely fast in the sweeping first section but struggling in the slower middle part.
McLaren, meanwhile, nailed the strategy, earning second and third places, narrowly missing a pole they lost by mere hundredths on the straights. The internal battle saw Piastri beat Norris, but the power balance remains uncertain. Throughout the day, the Brit was quicker in the technical second sector, but lost ground in the first. In Q3, things flipped: Norris stayed close in the first part, but Piastri won out in the middle. There’s reason to believe Norris may have mismanaged tyre preparation—strong early but overheated by lap’s end. Oscar Piastri also made a mistake, locking up in the final braking zone. One thing’s clear: McLaren remains the team to beat—if they can piece everything together.
Ferrari: Ride height isn’t the only problem
The Prancing Horse again finds itself 3 tenths off pole with Charles Leclerc, a gap that’s become the norm for the Scuderia. Ferrari fans hoped for a repeat of the Shanghai Sprint form, thinking the shorter race would help limit concerns about floor wear and allow the car to run lower. But Miami Friday shows that ride height isn’t SF-25’s only issue.
Charles Leclerc lost a tenth in the first sector and two in the second, with a car whose poor balance overheats the tyres due to repeated sliding. The Monegasque had spoken before the session about a “radical” setup being tested with the SF-25—one that gives sharp turn-in at high speeds but compromises low-speed traction, penalizing the second sector. The oversteery nature of the Ferrari continues to frustrate Lewis Hamilton too, who lost two-thirds of his gap to Charles Leclerc in the first sweeping section. A comeback in the Sprint will be tough, leaving it to Andrea Kimi Antonelli to fly the Italian flag.
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