Verstappen: Let’s keep it going

Red Bull's Dutch ace claimed his seventh consecutive pole position start, but his first in Miami, where Verstappen failed to earn the top starting spot in the first two races around Hard Rock Stadium, yet won them both.

Verstappen reported afterwards: “I don’t know what it is, every single year we come here I find it extremely difficult to be consistent with the car feeling, with the tire feeling over one lap. I think we did OK. It’s not the most enjoyable lap of my career, but we’re on pole and that’s the most important.”

The pole-winning run tied Verstappen with Alain Prost in opening the season with six consecutive poles, which the Frenchman claimed during 1993.

“Good start,” Verstappen radioed his team. “Let’s keep it going.” And that would mean adding today's third Miami Grand Prix to his ever-growing list of F1 accolades.

Verstappen opened Saturday with a win in the Sprint Race - receiving his winner's plaque from soccer legend Zinedine Zidane - and ended the day with his 38th career pole. The Red Bull driver denied the Ferrari duo of Charles Leclerc and Carlos Sainz and aims to make it a hat-trick at the home of the Miami Dolphins. Verstappen has won four of the first five F1 races the 2024 season.

In the other Red Bull, Sergio Perez qualified fourth and was followed by McLaren teammates Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri, who were likely disappointed after upgrades brought to Miami had the team hoping to move closer to competition with Red Bull and Ferrari.

Mercedes poor form continued with their drivers George Russell and Lewis Hamilton P6 and P7 and were followed by Nico Hülkenberg of Haas and Yuki Tsunoda of Red Bull’s junior team.