Max Verstappen is the daddy in qualifying for the Miami Grand Prix
The Red Bull driver, who became a father this week, will start the race at the front.
Max Verstappen celebrated becoming a father for the first time by securing a brilliant pole position for the Miami Grand Prix.
Verstappen’s rivals might have hoped that his new era as a parent would slow him down but the Red Bull driver delivered a world champion’s performance to see off McLaren’s Lando Norris by just 0.065 seconds at the Hard Rock Stadium.
Kimi Antonelli, who secured a surprise pole for the sprint race, continued his impressive weekend when he took an impressive third, just two thousandths of a second slower than Norris, with championship leader Oscar Piastri fourth.
George Russell qualified fifth with the top five separated by less than two tenths. But Lewis Hamilton will start way back in 12th following the worst qualifying performance of his Ferrari career to date.
Verstappen was a late arrival to sixth round of the campaign after his girlfriend, Kelly Piquet, gave birth to their daughter, Lily, earlier this week.
Yet, he was able to toast his newborn with the third pole of the season and his second in succession.
Verstappen and Norris were separated by just 0.003 sec heading into their final runs and, while both improved, it was the Dutchman who took top spot.
“It has been a great qualifying,” said Verstappen. “We improved the car. And we were better with each run.
“It worked out well so I am very happy to be on pole. It is the best starting position to be in, and we will try to maximise everything we can.”
Norris claimed victory in the earlier rain-hit sprint race to reduce Piastri’s championship advantage from 10 points to nine and he will start two spots ahead of his team-mate on Sunday.
“I was hoping becoming a dad would slow Max down but it clearly didn’t,” said Norris with a wry smile. “Max did a Max lap once again and I cannot fault him.
“I didn’t deliver but the pace was there and I have been feeling better than I have for the past weekends, and I am ready to see what we can do heading into the first corner.”
Hamilton rolled the strategy dice to finish third in the sprint but he endured another dire qualifying session as he was knocked out in Q2.
Hamilton was already in bother as he approached his final lap, and then he made a mistake at the hairpin and was unable to improve leaving him 0.718 sec off the pace.
The 40-year-old has now been outqualified by team-mate Charles Leclerc at five of the six rounds after the Monegasque was able to haul his machine in Q3. He will line up four places ahead of Hamilton in eighth.
Fernando Alonso’s late crash in the sprint race paved the way for Norris to win and although Aston Martin repaired the double world champion’s machine for qualifying he was bumped out in Q1. Alonso will line up in 17th with British rookie Ollie Bearman 20th and last.
