Kimi Antonelli’s Third Consecutive Pole Pits Him Against Max Verstappen for First Time
Kimi Antonelli's bad starts are about to face the ultimate test...Max Verstappen, on the front row.
Antonelli and Verstappen Line Up on the Front Row for the First Time CHARLY TRIBALLEAU - Getty Images After topping the charts in Q1 and Q2, Max Verstappen had his best Q3 performance to secure a front row starting spot for the Miami Grand Prix next to Kimi Antonelli. The Italian teenager secured pole for the third consecutive race; he joins the greats Michael Schumacher and Anton Senna as drivers who recorded their first three poles in a row. "It's been an amazing day," Antonelli answered Martin Brundle after being handed the stat.
"To be on pole again, you know, it was obviously a difficult start of the day with the sprint, where it didn't go our way, but I'm super happy with the recovery, and it was a good qualifying. Obviously, I got a little bit excited on the last lap of Q3, but the first lap was good enough. " Toto Wolff got on the radio to scold the young driver lightly, following his slip up at the end of his second Q3 lap that was well on it's way to improving on time of 1:27.
798. "Well done, mate," Wolff said, "Just need to curb the enthusiasm on that final lap. " "Yeah, just a little bit too excited," Antonelli replied.
"Kimi, Kimi, Kimi, well done. " The four-time champion and the youngest WDC points leader in history will battle to turn one, and Verstappen, in second, has the advantage of both experience and Antonelli’s history of bad starts. Antonelli has lost spots on the start of all three grands prix and two sprints to start the season.