Max Verstappen Claims Seventh Successive Formula 1 Pole Position in Miami Grand Prix Qualifying

Max Verstappen continued his dominant streak in Formula 1 by claiming his seventh successive pole position in Miami Grand Prix Qualifying, edging out Charles Leclerc in a thrilling session. Verstappen’s time of 1:27.241 on his first flying lap in Q3 proved to be enough to secure the pole position, extending his career-best streak and moving within one pole of Ayrton Senna’s all-time record.

The Red Bull driver, who also won the Sprint race earlier in the day, now holds a 27-point lead in the world championship as he aims for his fourth consecutive drivers’ title. However, Ferrari’s Carlos Sainz managed to split the Red Bulls by taking third place, ahead of Sergio Perez.

Lando Norris impressed with a fifth-place finish in his upgraded McLaren, while Mercedes duo George Russell and Lewis Hamilton settled for seventh and eighth, respectively. The top 10 was rounded out by Haas’ Nico Hulkenberg and Red Bull’s Yuki Tsunoda, with Aston Martin’s Fernando Alonso only managing 15th.

Verstappen described the qualifying session as ‘unpredictable’ due to the challenging track conditions in Miami. Despite his pole position, he acknowledged the difficulty of finding the right balance in the car over one lap. The Dutch driver’s dominant form has seen him match records set by legends like Lewis Hamilton and Alain Prost.

Ferrari’s Leclerc and Sainz struggled to put together a competitive lap in Q3, but remain hopeful of challenging Verstappen in the race. McLaren’s Norris rued setup changes that affected his performance, while Mercedes continued to struggle with their car’s design.

The Miami Grand Prix promises to be an exciting race, with Verstappen looking to extend his lead in the championship and Ferrari aiming to challenge the Red Bulls. Fans can catch all the action live on Sky Sports F1 on Sunday at 9pm, with the build-up starting at 7.30pm.