Championship-leading teenager Kimi Antonelli secured pole position for the Miami Grand Prix, which was moved three hours earlier due to an expected heavy rainstorm. The 19-year-old Italian, the youngest title leader in F1 history, posted a fastest lap of 1:27.798 to edge out four-time champion Max Verstappen.

Charles Leclerc qualified third for Ferrari, while world champion Lando Norris, winner of the earlier sprint race, will start fourth for McLaren. Antonelli's third consecutive pole puts him alongside legends Ayrton Senna and Michael Schumacher in the record books.

“It has been an amazing day for me to be on pole again,” Antonelli said. “The sprint was difficult, but I’m super happy with this recovery. My first lap was good enough, though I got a little too excited in the last one.”

The race was rescheduled from 4:00 PM to 1:00 PM local time (17:00 GMT) due to forecasts of thunderstorms. The FIA, commercial rights holders, and local promoters stated the decision was made “to ensure the least disruption and prioritize safety of drivers, fans, teams, and staff.”

Verstappen, driving a heavily revised Red Bull, said: “For me to be on the front row is way better than I expected. Let’s hope for a good start—I’ve not had many of them this year.”

Qualifying began in sweltering heat and swirling wind. Norris and Verstappen initially set the pace, but Antonelli's blistering lap in Q3 secured provisional pole. Ferrari and Mercedes showed significant improvement over the sprint session, with Antonelli's teammate George Russell fifth and Lewis Hamilton sixth.

Source: www.aljazeera.com