Mercedes’ Andrea Kimi Antonelli etched his name into the Formula 1 record books with a stunning performance during Sprint Qualifying at the 2025 Miami GP. At just 18 years, eight months, and eight days old, Antonelli became the youngest driver ever to claim pole position for an F1 race in any format.
This achievement surpasses the previous benchmark set by four-time World Champion Sebastian Vettel, who secured pole at 21 years, two months, and 11 days during the 2008 Italian GP. However, since Antonelli will start from pole in the Sprint Race only, Vettel continues to hold the record as the youngest driver to take pole for a Grand Prix.
This is not the first time the Mercedes rookie has rewritten F1 history. At the 2025 Japanese GP, Antonelli became the youngest driver to lead a race and the youngest to set the fastest lap, surpassing records held by Red Bull’s four-time World Champion Max Verstappen.
Furthermore, Friday’s Sprint Qualifying session marked the first occasion Antonelli has out-qualified his teammate George Russell—a three-time Grand Prix winner now in his fourth season with the Brackley-based outfit.
Antonelli “really happy” to claim maiden pole after “intense Qualifying”
Speaking to the media after Friday’s intense Sprint Qualifying session at the 2025 F1 Miami GP, Antonelli reflected on his record-breaking performance with visible confidence. The Mercedes rookie, who delivered a blistering 1:26.482 lap to secure pole position for the Sprint, credited his strong feeling throughout the day for setting the tone.
“It was a very intense Qualifying, and I felt really good since this morning, and I felt confident going into Qualifying.”
That confidence translated into a standout performance under pressure.
“The last lap was mighty, and I put everything together, and it was nice that it all came together nicely. I’m really happy to get the first pole.”
Looking ahead to Saturday’s Sprint Race, Antonelli acknowledged the significance of starting from the front row. While he anticipates a “different feeling” leading the field, his focus remains firmly on maintaining momentum into the Qualifying session on Saturday afternoon.
“It is going to be nice to start on the front row, it is going to be a different feeling, but I cannot wait for tomorrow to see how we can do in the Sprint and then in Qualifying as well.”
Antonelli “over the moon” after 2025 F1 Miami GP Sprint Qualifying
Reflecting further on his landmark achievement, Andrea Kimi Antonelli described his emotions as being “over the moon” following his historic pole position in Sprint Qualifying at the 2025 Miami Grand Prix. Despite showing strong pace throughout the day, the Mercedes rookie admitted the result came as a surprise.
“I’m feeling over the moon. I did not expect it, but I was feeling good in the car,” he said.
Antonelli emphasised the steady progress he made across the sessions, which ultimately culminated in his record-breaking lap. While the 18-year-old plans to savour the moment, he remains determined to maintain focus as the race weekend continues.
“I was able to improve lap by lap and find that consistency, and that lap came all together. I’m super, super happy with that, and now we will enjoy this moment a little bit more, but as well I want to focus on tomorrow because I really want to try and repeat myself.”
Antonelli pays tribute to family
Antonelli’s record-breaking Sprint Qualifying performance at the 2025 F1 Miami GP became even more meaningful as he shared the moment with his father, Marco. The 18-year-old made his way to the Mercedes garage immediately after the session, where he embraced his father in a heartfelt celebration of a milestone that was years in the making.
“It definitely was really nice, and also to find him in the garage after Qualifying. I’m super happy to share this moment with him. He’s so important to me as well and he’s like a rock, I know I can always rely on him.”
While the young Italian regretted that his mother and sister could not be present, he expressed hope that similar successes in the future would allow them to share in such moments.
“Really happy to share this moment with him. I would like to share it with my mum and my sister as well, but hopefully next time.”
Antonelli aiming to be “on top of it” on Saturday at the 2025 F1 Miami GP
Looking ahead to Saturday’s Sprint Race and the all-important Grand Prix Qualifying session, Antonelli remains grounded. Despite Mercedes conducting long runs during FP1 to gather data, he acknowledged the unpredictability of race pace and the challenges posed by Miami’s constantly evolving street circuit.
“We did quite a long run in FP1 to try and gather as [much] information as possible.”
“Of course we don’t really know the pace of the others, but I guess we will see tomorrow during the [Sprint]. And then about Qualifying, the track is going to keep evolving so it’s going to be important to be on top of it and try to repeat ourselves.”
