Mercedes driver Kimi Antonelli claims maiden pole position for Miami sprint race
Teenager Kimi Antonelli sprung the surprise of the season so far by taking pole position for Saturday's sprint race in Miami.
The 18-year-old Italian, just six rounds into his rookie campaign as a replacement for Lewis Hamilton, saw off championship leader Oscar Piastri by just 0.045 seconds at the Hard Rock Stadium.
Piastri's McLaren team-mate Lando Norris finished third, 0.100 sec behind Antonelli, with Max Verstappen fourth and Antonelli's Mercedes team-mate George Russell in fifth.
YESSS KIMI, WHAT A LAP!!! 👏👏 SPRINT POLE IN MIAMI 🙌 pic.twitter.com/knDg8kppnm
— Mercedes-AMG PETRONAS F1 Team (@MercedesAMGF1) May 2, 2025
Charles Leclerc and Hamilton qualified sixth and seventh respectively for Ferrari.
'It was a very intense qualifying, and I have felt really good since this morning's practice session,' said a euphoric Antonelli after posting a track record to take top spot.
'The last lap was mighty. I pulled it all together and I am delighted to get my first pole.
'It will be a different feeling to start on the front row tomorrow and I cannot wait to see how we do in the sprint race, and in qualifying for the Grand Prix, too.'
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Hypebeast
34 minutes ago
- Hypebeast
Mercedes-AMG 推出 GLS 63 MANUFAKTUR Arctic Silver 版
Mercedes-AMG再次展現其極致性能與奢華設計，推出旗艦性能 SUV——2026 GLS 63 MANUFAKTUR Arctic Silver 特別版，全球限量僅 450 輛，預計於 2025 年底進駐美國指定經銷商。這款特別版不僅延續 AMG 一貫的大膽設計與強勁性能，更在細節上融入專屬個性化元素，將獨特性推向新高峰。 GLS 63 Arctic Silver 特別版採用 MANUFAKTUR Cirrus Silver Magno 霧面銀色車漆，與黑紅配色細節形成強烈對比。車身外觀搭配霧面黑色 23 吋 AMG 鍛造輪圈，並以紅色輪圈飾條和紅色 AMG 煞車卡鉗注入運動感。全車的 AMG 夜色套件更進一步強化外觀霸氣，包括高亮黑色的前分流器、後視鏡外殼、車窗飾條與後保桿。霧面黑色車頂行李架與深色鍍鉻尾管，則為整體設計增添一份冷峻與力量感。 內裝部分，GLS 63 Arctic Silver 版以胭脂紅與黑色 Nappa 皮革座艙為主調，座椅采用鑽石車縫紋設計，豪華質感一覽無遺。紅色點綴的 AMG 碳纖維飾板貫穿內裝，為車廂增添性能元素。細節方面，儀表板上專屬的 MANUFAKTUR Arctic Silver 銘牌，門檻板帶有發光 AMG 字樣，地墊更繡有專屬標誌，彰顯限量版的獨特身份。 >McLaren 發表全球限量 50 輛 750S Le Mans 特別版車型 >Bentley 迄今最強悍 Bentayga Speed 車型正式登場 >近賞 J Balvin 以《阿基拉 AKIRA》為靈感打造全新電能定製機車
New York Post
3 hours ago
- New York Post
Novak Djokovic admits his French Open loss ‘could have been the last match I ever played here'
Novak Djokovic alluded to a potential retirement following his loss at the French Open on Friday. Shortly after losing the semifinals against top-ranked Jannik Sinner, Djokovic paused and waved goodbye to the crowd while walking off the court. Djokovic, 38, was uncertain about his future in tennis when speaking to reporters, saying that the match could be his final time at the Roland Garros. Advertisement 3 Novak Djokovic holds a press conference after he lost his men's singles semifinal match against Jannik Sinner at the Roland-Garros Complex in Paris on June 6, 2025. AFP via Getty Images 'This could have been the last match ever I played here, so I don't know. That's why I was a bit more emotional even in the end,' Djokovic told reporters. 'If this was the farewell match of the Roland Garros for me in my career, it was a wonderful one in terms of the atmosphere and what I got from the crowd. 'Do I wish to play more? Yes, I do. But will I be able to play in 12 months' time here again? I don't know. That's all I can say for the moment.' Advertisement The 24-time major champion had a hard-fought match against Sinner, but it was ultimately not enough as the Italian beat Djokovic 6-4, 7-5, 7-6 (3). '[It] was a straight-set loss, but I feel like I did give him a run for his money, so to say,' Djokovic said. 'I tried to make him work till the last shot. I did what I could. This is sport. You have to just shake the hand of the better player and move on. 3 Novak Djokovic cheers the spectators after losing his men's singles semifinal match against Jannik Sinner on day 13 of the French Open tennis tournament on Court Philippe-Chatrier at the Roland-Garros Complex in Paris on June 6, 2025. AFP via Getty Images 'I must say that I was proud of my effort tonight [and] in this tournament, considering I wasn't in great form coming into Roland Garros, but he was just too good for me tonight.' Advertisement Friday's match marks Jannik's fourth consecutive victory against Djokovic, with the Serbian now trailing the 23-year-old 4-5 in their Lexus ATP Head2Head series. 'Jannik is the kind of player who loves to play [at a] very fast pace the entire match. He's very physical. He's very fit, and he's striking the ball incredibly well,' Djokovic said. 'He seems to always be on good timing. Rarely he's off-balance, and he's just playing the tennis of his life. 3 Italy's Jannik Sinner celebrates after winning his men's singles semi-final match against Novak Djokovic on day 13 of the French Open tennis tournament on Court Philippe-Chatrier at the Roland-Garros Complex in Paris on June 6, 2025. AFP via Getty Images 'Wherever you play him, whatever surface, you know that you're going to get that fast pace the entire time, which for me I don't mind necessarily so much, because it makes me alert from the very beginning.' Advertisement Sinner is set to face off against defending champion Carlos Alcaraz in the French Open final on Sunday. 'These are rare and special moments,' Sinner told reporters. 'I'm very happy.'
Miami Herald
4 hours ago
- Miami Herald
Mercedes CEO Has a Trump Tariff Deal That Could Reshape US-EU Auto Trade
Hours before an event in Michigan on April 29, President Trump signed two executive orders aimed at reducing the impact of trade tariffs on the automotive industry. One order prevents automakers, who face 25% tariffs on auto imports, from being subject to additional levies on materials. The other order allows automakers to apply for tariff relief, which will reduce a portion of the costs associated with their imported components. However, these benefits will be gradually phased out over the next two years. During a rally that night in Michigan, Trump described this move as providing "a little flexibility" to the automotive industry, hoping to persuade automakers to produce their cars and components in the United States. He said, "We gave them a little time before we slaughter them if they don't do this. They're going to make so much money. They're going to have so many jobs." Despite the developments, German luxury car manufacturer Mercedes-Benz withdrew its earnings guidance for 2025 during the announcement of its Q1 results. This decision was driven by uncertainty regarding the potential impact of President Trump's tariffs on imported vehicles. The company also stated that if auto tariffs remained at their current levels, it would decrease profit margins by 300 basis points on cars and 100 basis points on vans. In a new interview with German business publication Der Spiegel, Mercedes-Benz CEO Ola Källenius said that while he is looking at different scenarios, the kind of investments he has to make are ones that could last for decades, rather than ones made "in response to a volatile situation" such as the current US-EU tariff situation that is currently unfolding. Recognizing that the current administration has the impression "that we in Europe are closed to certain issues and only demand openness where we have strengths," the CEO proposed a deal meant to balance its imports and exports. In his proposal, Källenius would allow duty-free imports of U.S.-built cars into Europe in exchange for tariff waivers on an equal number of vehicles exported by EU automakers to the U.S., adding that it would alleviate and fulfill its desire to reindustrialize and become an attractive destination for companies to set up factories for exported goods. "For every car that leaves the USA or Europe, a car from the other side comes in duty-free," Källenius told Spiegel. "We have put this idea to both sides, and it is a possible component of the negotiations between the USA and the EU." Such a solution would work for a company like Mercedes-Benz. In the same interview, Källenius noted that Mercedes "is a major producer" of cars in the United States, adding that the company builds and sells around 350,000 vehicles in the country, which could count for consideration in trade talks. "But the models we build and sell [in the U.S.] are not the same," Källenius told Spiegel. "Two-thirds of the vehicles from our plant in Tuscaloosa, Alabama, are exported to 150 countries worldwide. We therefore contribute to a more balanced trade balance for the USA. We believe this should be taken into account in the negotiations." Källenius's idea of rewarding U.S. exports is roughly on the same wavelength as similar ideas proposed by other automotive CEOs. Previously, Ford CEO Jim Farley raised the idea that automakers like Ford should get credit for building cars in the United States that are shipped overseas for international consumption, noting that it is "essential" that the federal government come up with policies that encourage manufacturers to build cars for export, adding that it exports nearly as many vehicles as its brings in. "So many of the vehicles we build here are exported around the globe," Farley said. "Shouldn't we get credit for that?" Around the same time Farley made those comments, the export of some high-ticket models to China, including the F-150 Raptor, Mustang, Bronco, and Lincoln Navigator, was halted due to retaliatory tariffs as high as 150% on imported vehicles. For what it's worth, German automakers like Volkswagen, BMW, and Mercedes-Benz have a lot of leverage for a potential U.S. tariff deal, especially if they propose that German automakers receive credits based on the number of vehicles they produce in the United States. These aren't small potatoes, either. BMW alone manufactures some of its highest-volume models, such as the BMW X3, X4, X5, X6, X7, and XM, at its Spartanburg, South Carolina, plant, which serves both U.S. and international markets. According to data from the U.S. Department of Commerce, BMW is the largest automotive exporter by value in the U.S., shipping "more than $10 billion" of cars in 2024. American hands assemble these cars, no matter the badge or its supposed country of origin. Copyright 2025 The Arena Group, Inc. All Rights Reserved.
