In a remarkable turnaround at the
Mercedes has shown impressive dominance this season, with George Russell winning the opening race from pole position, followed by Antonelli's victories in the subsequent grands prix. However, the team faced a setback during a five-week hiatus due to the cancellation of two races in the Middle East amid ongoing conflict in Iran. During this break, all teams implemented upgrades to their cars. Despite this, both Russell and Antonelli struggled in the sprint race, finishing fourth and sixth respectively. Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff acknowledged that the team was “a little out of sync with our upgrades compared to other teams.”
Antonelli's Resilient Performance
In qualifying, Antonelli clocked a time of 1 minute, 28.653 seconds, edging out Verstappen for the pole position. Reflecting on the day’s earlier challenges, Antonelli expressed satisfaction with the team's recovery, stating, “Obviously, a difficult start of the day with the sprint where it didn't go our way, but super happy with the recovery. We will do our best this week, and obviously, it's been a little bit more difficult for us.”
Verstappen, who has faced difficulties with his car's performance this season, managed to secure his best starting position yet. The four-time world champion, who has previously won in Miami, expressed relief at the improvements made to his vehicle, saying, “I feel more in control of the car again, and I can push a bit more. To be in the front row is way better than I expected heading into the weekend.”
Race Day Adjustments
Charles Leclerc qualified third for Ferrari, while reigning world champion Lando Norris, who won the sprint race, secured fourth for McLaren. Russell and Lewis Hamilton followed in fifth and sixth, respectively. Notably, both Cadillac drivers struggled, with Valtteri Bottas and Sergio Perez qualifying 20th and 21st, respectively, despite significant upgrades to their cars. Gabriel Bortoleto rounded out the grid in 22nd after his Audi experienced a fire during qualifying.
Due to forecasts predicting heavy rain and thunderstorms, the start time for the race on Sunday was moved up by three hours to 1 p.m. EDT. Drivers have expressed concerns about the weather, particularly regarding the potential for lightning, which would necessitate a race pause to ensure safety for all participants.
