Max Verstappen achieved his sixth consecutive pole position in the 2024 Formula 1 World Championship at the Miami Grand Prix. He outperformed his rivals Charles Leclerc and Carlos Sainz with a lap time of 1:27.241s. The track conditions proved challenging, with high temperatures and a slippery surface affecting the drivers’ performance. Surprisingly, the soft tires did not provide an advantage over the mediums, making it a difficult session for the drivers to set the grid for Sunday’s race.
Verstappen entered the qualifying session after a Sprint victory, although he expressed dissatisfaction with the balance of his Red Bull RB20. However, he quickly set the pace in Q1 and reclaimed the top spot. Ferrari’s Leclerc was the first to break the 1:28 barrier, with McLaren’s Norris also putting in a strong performance. Sergio Perez initially led the leaderboard but eventually settled for a fight for pole position after a disappointing Sprint.
Valtteri Bottas, Logan Sargeant, and Daniel Ricciardo were among the drivers eliminated in Q1. Traffic became an issue at the second-to-last corner, hindering Kevin Magnussen’s progress. Sauber’s Zhou Guanyu had the slowest time in Q1. In Q2, Leclerc maintained his lead, while Verstappen climbed to fifth. The pace improved compared to Friday’s session, thanks to Leclerc’s time. Aston Martin struggled, with Lance Stroll in 11th and Fernando Alonso in 15th.
In the Q3 top-10 shootout, Verstappen set a blistering lap time of 1:27.241s, securing pole position. Leclerc, Sainz, and Perez were in contention but couldn’t improve their times. Verstappen, although not completely satisfied with his car, felt that the balance was improving for the race on Sunday. Leclerc and Sainz are seen as the main challengers to Verstappen, with Perez and Norris completing the top-five. Piastri, Russell, Hamilton, Hulkenberg, and Tsunoda rounded out the top-10.