3 May 2026
Championship leader Andrea Kimi Antonelli underlined exactly why he tops the 2026 standings with a stunning pole position lap at the Miami International Autodrome. The Mercedes rookie — already 7 points clear of teammate George Russell — will start Sunday's Grand Prix from the front, and crucially, his nearest rival on the grid is none other than Max Verstappen in second.
Verstappen's P2 is his best qualifying result of a difficult 2026 season, and the Red Bull camp will be quietly optimistic that the long race suits their car better than the sprint did. Starting on the front row gives him the best possible chance of a result that could breathe some life back into his title challenge — currently sitting ninth on just 16 points.
Charles Leclerc lines up third for Ferrari, with Lando Norris fourth after his sprint win on Saturday. George Russell starts an unusually low fifth for Mercedes, meaning the championship battle between the two Silver Arrows teammates could be shaped by how quickly Russell can work through the field in the opening laps. Lewis Hamilton starts sixth, giving Ferrari two cars in the top six.
Antonelli leads Russell by 7 points at the top on 75 pts, with Leclerc third on 55. Mercedes dominate the constructors on 143 points — Ferrari are second on 98 with McLaren third on 61. Verstappen's front-row start is his best opportunity yet to mount any kind of championship recovery, but the gap is enormous.
Verstappen leads briefly after the start, but Antonelli retakes the position before the end of lap one and controls the race to the flag — making it back-to-back wins and opening up a double-digit championship lead.