"That's quite a statement": Newcomer Antonelli sensationally smashes Vettel's record

Kimi Antonelli makes history at the United States Grand Prix: In Miami, the Mercedes rookie sensationally takes pole position. His boss is overjoyed, and four-time world champion Sebastian Vettel loses his record.

Kimi Antonelli repeatedly raised his fist, Mercedes team boss Toto Wolff grinned more broadly than he had since the Silver Arrows' world championship days: The Formula 1 rookie from Italy completely unexpectedly secured pole position for the second sprint race of the Formula 1 season - and in the process smashed a record held by Sebastian Vettel.

The 18-year-old Mercedes driver beat McLaren stars Oscar Piastri and Lando Norris, who had dominated the season so far, in qualifying in Miami. This makes Antonelli the youngest pole sitter in the 75-year history of Formula 1. The Italian significantly beat the previous record held by four-time world champion Vettel, who was 21 years old in qualifying for the 2008 Italian Grand Prix in Monza.

Purists might point out that Vettel is still the youngest driver to have started a Grand Prix from the front – sprint races have only been introduced in Formula 1 since 2021, and only on select weekends, and a win is still worth only eight points, not 25. But none of this mattered in the Florida heat.

"Kimi only got his driver's license seven or eight months ago, has never been to Miami, and he's putting the car on pole here. That's quite an achievement," said Mercedes Motorsport Director Toto Wolff on Sky. "I had a lot of confidence, and I pulled everything together on the last lap," said a beaming Antonelli. "It will certainly be a slightly different feeling starting from the front tomorrow. But I can hardly wait."

World champion Max Verstappen, who arrived in Florida late due to the birth of his daughter Lily, at least secured fourth place. Record world champion Lewis Hamilton placed his Ferrari seventh, but was again slightly slower than teammate Charles Leclerc. Nico Hülkenberg (Germany) finished a respectable eleventh place on the grid in the underperforming Sauber. After the sprint race (6 p.m. CEST), qualifying for the Grand Prix (10 p.m.) is scheduled for Saturday. The Grand Prix will take place in Miami on Sunday (10 p.m./all on Sky).

Piastri, a three-time season winner, leads the Drivers' Championship after five race weekends by ten points over Norris. Verstappen is a further two points behind.