Antonelli shines after pole but wary of Verstappen and McLaren

11:06, 03 May

byNorberto Mujica

Despite starting from pole for the F1 sprint in Miami, Andrea Kimi Antonelli does not rest on his laurels and is ready to take on his rivals who'll undoubtedly try and wrestle the lead away from his young hands.

Antonelli seemed as shock as everyone else after he claimed pole position for the sprint. So much so that he could not take off his equipment unassisted after jumping out of his car. “I did not expect that! It feels fantastic to take my first pole position.”

“When I crossed the line, I thought it was a good lap. I was happy with how it came together. There were a few areas that I felt I could have found a little bit more time, but I was pleased that I managed to hook up all three sectors. I will enjoy this moment but quickly focus on tomorrow as it would be good to repeat today by taking victory in the Sprint itself.”

Antonelli expects his rivals to come charging for the lead

The young Italian does not expect to drive off into the horizon undistrubed, as he knows many drivers are hungry for the win. “We know the McLarens, the Ferraris, and the Red Bull of Verstappen have strong race pace. It won't be easy to keep them behind tomorrow, but I will be giving it my all to do so.”

“ It will be important to have a good start and hopefully from there, set a good pace without suffering too much from tyre degradation. After the Sprint, we will have to try and do the job we have done today to secure a good grid position for the Grand Prix on Sunday”, said Antonelli.