MIAMI, Fla. — At the start of the FIA press conference, Toto Wolff, the head of the Mercedes team, praised rookie driver Kimi Antonelli for his “consistent growth.”
Later that evening at Hard Rock Stadium, Wolff had even more reasons to commend the younger members of the team. Antonelli made a strong showing at the end of Q3, clinching his first pole position for the upcoming F1 sprint race.
“Congratulations on your first sprint pole position in Formula 1,” Wolff stated in the team’s post-session briefing. “It’s a significant achievement in a very competitive session, and it’s a moment he’ll always remember.”
“Starting the sprint from P1 is fantastic, but what’s most important is the improvement we’re seeing from you. You’re learning and getting better week after week,” he added.
“He led the session even if he qualified for the Sprint. This is yet another critical milestone in his development, and we’ll keep supporting him on this journey,” Wolff continued.
Wolff wasn’t the only one expressing admiration for Antonelli. Andrew Shovlin, the team’s trackside engineering director, echoed those sentiments.
“It’s fantastic to see you earn a sprint pole! He showed his strength from the first lap of FP1, but really saved his best for last,” Shovlin commented.
Shovlin also took a moment to acknowledge the historical significance of the achievement.
“Being the youngest driver to secure pole position in any format of Formula 1 is a remarkable moment, and he truly deserves to experience it,” Shovlin noted. “Tomorrow, we’ll shift our focus quickly as we prepare for the Grand Prix in the late afternoon.”
It wasn’t just about the pole position for Antonelli on Friday. His final qualifying lap also marked his fourth-grade record at the Miami International Autodrome.
George Russell, who qualified fifth for tomorrow’s sprint, also joined in the celebration.
“First off, huge congratulations! I’m really thrilled to see him take his first pole position,” Russell shared. “He was incredibly fast from the start of FP1, and that’s definitely impressive. It’s a win for him and the entire team. Hopefully, he can carry this momentum into a strong result in tomorrow’s sprint.”
When reflecting on the impressive outcome, Antonelli admitted he hadn’t anticipated it.
“I feel fantastic. I didn’t see it coming, but I was comfortable in the car,” Antonelli shared after the official F1 broadcast.
“We improved lap after lap and found that rhythm, which led to this result. I’m really happy. For now, we’re soaking in this moment, but we need to focus on tomorrow because we want to replicate this success.”
Antonelli will have a chance to do just that when the lights go out for the 19-lap F1 sprint race. It won’t be easy to defend P1, especially with the swift McLaren duo of Oscar Piastri and Lando Norris ready to start right behind him in P2 and P3, respectively.
Regardless, the young driver has already etched his name in history here in Miami, and the weekend is just starting.
