Andrea Kimi Antonelli had not expected to share the front row with Max Verstappen on Sunday in Miami. Although the Italian did anticipate that other teams would get closer to Mercedes after the spring break, the fast lap time of the world champion was a surprise: ‘Of course Max gets everything out of the car – if not more.’
Read more NEWS: GP Miami moved forward to 7:00 PM Dutch time due to severe weather
Andrea Kimi Antonelli had to wait in suspense at the end of qualifying in Miami. Max Verstappen suddenly got very close to the Italian’s fast time. In the end, the Mercedes driver was still faster by less than two tenths. Kimi Antonelli had not expected the Red Bull driver to come so close to the W17’s time.
“To see Max here (on the front row, ed.), as a team we did not expect that,” the Mercedes driver admitted honestly in the press conference after qualifying. “They have naturally brought significant upgrades to their cars, and of course Max always gets everything out of the car – if not more. But to see him here, that is still a surprise.”
Read more Verstappen cheers after second qualifying time: ‘Light at the end of the tunnel is in sight’
Struggles at Mercedes
The Mercedes of the Italian, on the other hand, had more difficulty at the Miami International Autodrome. “Our team struggled more with the car this weekend than usual. Especially finding balance proved difficult,” Kimi Antonelli explained. “But we have done good work. Now the focus is on tomorrow.” The race on Sunday in Miami currently looks set to be a rain race. The drivers have not yet raced a Grand Prix in the 2026 cars under wet conditions, making the American race promising to be exciting.
Read more Kimi Antonelli scores pole position in Miami: ‘Too excited’
Read everything about the GP Miami here
