For its first in Miami, F1 put on a show until the end during an indecisive and disputed qualifying session. In the lead in Q1 and Q2, Leclerc logically started as the big favorite for pole position. From the first lap, the Monegasque was under 30 minutes and was indeed the driver to beat. If Sainz followed in the same tenth as his teammate, it was Verstappen who set the fastest time in 1’28″991.
And it all happened in the dying seconds, on a last flying lap. Starting in front of his competitors, Leclerc chained records in the sectors and, on the line, his Ferrari set a time of 1’28″796. Sainz followed just behind but failed at 0″190 and had to settle for second place Wanting to push too hard, Max Verstappen made a mistake just before turn 7 and had to cut his effort, thus giving up pole to the championship leader Charles Leclerc will start from first place on the grid for the twelfth time in his career.
Hamilton and Gasly in progress
Behind the fight for the front row, Lewis Hamilton escaped with a 6th place on the grid. Only satisfaction for the Mercedes team which had quickly lost George Russell during Q2, forced to use a single set of tires after a missed first lap. As his opponents improved, the Briton tumbled painfully to 12th place.
On the French side, Pierre Gasly was able to master his Alpha Tauri until Q3 to achieve the 7th fastest time, the best performance in qualifying this season for the Rouennais. Conversely, Esteban Ocon did not participate in the session after having made a mistake during EL3. The Ébroïcien had damaged his single-seater and the team had decided to change the chassis of the A522. Initially condemned to start from the pit lane, the Alpine driver could finally be authorized to start from the last place on the grid…