Max Verstappen Snatches Miami GP Pole After Becoming a Dad

Fresh off becoming a father, Max Verstappen just reminded everyone why he’s still the one to beat. The Red Bull Racing driver clinched pole position at the Miami Formula One Grand Prix 2025, clocking a lightning-fast 1:26.204 lap on Saturday — and proving that “dad life” doesn’t slow you down.

Verstappen’s standout lap placed him just ahead of McLaren’s Lando Norris, who was 0.065 seconds off the pace. Coming off a sprint race penalty and a frustrating wet-weather performance that dropped him to the back of the grid earlier in the day, the four-time world champion bounced back in true Max fashion.

“Clearly it didn’t make me slower as well, being a dad,” Verstappen said, brushing off the notion that fatherhood might affect his form. “We can throw that out of the window as well for people mentioning it.”

Verstappen and partner Kelly Piquet recently welcomed their first child, daughter Lily, adding some extra celebration to a weekend already full of adrenaline.

Meanwhile, Norris — last year’s Miami race winner — has his eyes on a comeback. “Congrats to Max, especially being a dad now. I was hoping it would slow him down,” Norris joked. “Max did a Max lap once again and I can’t fault him.”

Kimi Antonelli, the 18-year-old Mercedes rookie who made history earlier in the sprint by becoming the youngest pole sitter, qualified third, while Oscar Piastri starts fourth, keeping McLaren firmly in the mix. Piastri’s narrow championship lead over Norris has now shrunk to just nine points.

George Russell will line up fifth for Mercedes, calling the podium “a win” in a race where, he admits, Red Bull and McLaren are likely to dominate.

Carlos Sainz, Alex Albon, Charles Leclerc, Esteban Ocon, and Yuki Tsunoda round out the top 10.

It was a bumpy session for Lewis Hamilton, who fell to P12 after a strong sprint showing. “We are struggling big time,” he admitted, pointing to bigger issues with Ferrari’s 2025 form.

Elsewhere, young guns made waves: Jack Doohan outqualified Pierre Gasly, while Ollie Bearman brought up the rear for Haas. Aston Martin’s troubles continued, with Fernando Alonso and Lance Stroll finishing 17th and 19th, respectively.

Though Verstappen’s Miami track record hasn’t always translated into wins — pole sitters haven’t converted to victories since the Grand Prix debuted in 2022 — this year might just break the curse.

“This is normally not really one of our strongest tracks,” Verstappen said. “But we’ve been more competitive over one lap. The race is a different story.”

Still, the numbers don’t lie: this marks his third pole in six races — and the first time any driver has scored multiple poles in Miami. New baby, same Max.