Andrea Kimi Antonelli became the youngest ever driver to claim an F1 pole position in any race format on Friday when he scorched around the track to ensure he will start at the front of the grid in the sprint event at the Miami Grand Prix.
The 18-year-old produced a brilliant performance in sprint qualifying to pip both McLaren drivers to the top spot, finishing just 0.045 seconds ahead of championship leader Oscar Piastri while Lando Norris took third.
Antonelli’s Mercedes teammate George Russell qualified in fifth place, behind the McLaren duo and Red Bull’s Max Verstappen in fourth.
The Italian is increasingly making a habit of becoming the youngest F1 driver to reach various milestones – in April he became the youngest driver to ever record the fastest lap in a grand prix and to lead the race too. Such landmarks underline his immense potential in the sport.
“I’m feeling over the moon. I did not expect it, but I was feeling good in the car,” he told broadcaster Sky Sports afterwards.
“I did not see that coming, to be honest. I felt the lap was good, I was happy with it, how it all came together. There were still a few bits where I could have done a bit better but still super happy with how I put all the sectors together.
“Now I will enjoy this moment a little bit more, but at the same time I’m going to try to focus on tomorrow because it would be good to repeat ourselves.”
After Antonelli finished, he went straight to the Mercedes garage to find his dad, Marco, and the two shared an embrace.
“He’s like a rock for me because I can always rely on him and it’s really nice to share this moment with him,” he said afterwards.
He will have a golden opportunity to win his first ever F1 race on Saturday in the sprint event, before the Miami Grand Prix on Sunday.
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