Antonelli takes third straight pole but admits weakness as Mercedes face rising pressure

The Italian produced a decisive first run in Q3 that ultimately secured pole, but overcooked his second attempt after pushing for more time. “I braked way too late and I knew I wasn’t going to make the corner the moment I braked. Luckily it was good enough.”

The moment left Antonelli watching the timing screens as others completed their laps, unsure if his earlier effort would hold against Red Bull’s Max Verstappen and Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc: “I was very stressed, to be fair, because I was just waiting for everyone to finish their laps."

Antonelli has been the standout performer in qualifying this season and leads the championship after the opening rounds, but he acknowledged that converting pole into race results remains an issue.

“I need to get off the line decently because it hasn’t been good so far,” he said. “We’ll try to finish the job tomorrow.”

Mercedes have set the benchmark in the early part of the 2026 campaign, but the gap appears to be closing as teams bring upgrades following a five week break after the opening races in Australia, China and Japan.

Verstappen joined Antonelli on the front row after a difficult start to the season for Red Bull, while Leclerc qualified third for Ferrari, underlining the increasingly competitive picture at the front.

Antonelli said the tightening field was expected under the new regulations, with development likely to dictate the title fight: “Whoever is going to be able to bring more upgrades and more potent ones is going to make the difference."

Mercedes themselves have not been entirely comfortable in Miami, with Antonelli admitting the team had struggled more than usual to find the right balance before qualifying: “We’ve been struggling a little bit more this weekend than usual, trying to put the car in the right place. But I think we did a great job ahead of qualifying with the changes we made.”

With rain forecast for Sunday and drivers yet to race extensively in wet conditions with the new generation of cars, Antonelli said the challenge could increase further: “For sure, driving the car for the first time in the wet in the race probably is not the easiest opportunity."

Despite his pole streak, the 19 year old’s comments highlighted the fine margins at the front, where small mistakes, race starts and rapid development gains could quickly swing momentum away from Mercedes.