By Nate Saunders
MIAMI GARDENS, Florida – Max Verstappen, the reigning Formula 1 world champion, conclusively disproved any theories suggesting fatherhood might diminish his speed. On Saturday in Miami, he once again demonstrated his exceptional form by securing pole position.
After a somewhat chaotic sprint race earlier in the day, Verstappen meticulously executed his plan on Saturday afternoon. He snatched pole from McLaren`s Lando Norris by a razor-thin margin of 0.065 seconds on the circuit circling the Hard Rock Stadium – a display of typical dominance from the four-time world champion.
With the enticing possibility of rain looming – conditions where Verstappen`s extraordinary talent appears almost superhuman – securing a second victory of the season in Sunday`s grand prix seems a highly probable outcome. Despite the attention McLaren has garnered this year, Verstappen remains a bona fide title contender, and a win on Sunday would emphatically reinforce that.
His pole position on Saturday served to settle a significant talking point throughout the week. The 27-year-old had arrived in Miami late on Thursday evening, missing media day because of the birth of his daughter, Lily, with his partner Kelly Piquet. A prevailing notion in motorsport suggests that the arrival of a driver`s first child can cost them valuable tenths of a second on track. Verstappen was quick to reference this cliché during the post-qualifying press conference.
“Clearly, it didn`t make me slower being a dad, so that`s a positive,” Verstappen stated. “So we can throw that out of the window as well, for people mentioning it.”
This idea is indeed a long-standing cliché. Those promoting it had recently highlighted a comment made by Fernando Alonso in 2005 following his memorable overtake of Michael Schumacher at Suzuka`s challenging 130R corner, considered one of the millennium`s greatest passes. “I knew he would brake because he has a wife and two kids at home,” a young and confident Alonso had declared afterwards, a remark stemming from youthful exuberance.
Twenty years later, during his media sessions before this weekend`s race, Alonso good-naturedly dismissed the old quote, saying he no longer believes it holds true. Nevertheless, the narrative persists beyond just his comment.
“I don`t really listen to these kind of silly things; I just do my thing,” Verstappen commented. “I think there are enough racing drivers in the past who have been world champions even after having kids. Honestly, I don`t know where this has even come from.”
Beyond his impressive qualifying performance on Saturday afternoon, historical facts also support Verstappen`s stance. Lily`s grandfather, Nelson Piquet, is among the drivers who won a championship after becoming a father. Michael Schumacher, Graham Hill, Nigel Mansell, Damon Hill, and Nico Rosberg also achieved this feat.
Verstappen`s concentration clearly remained unaffected. He mentioned in his news conference that he had been “getting pictures and on FaceTime a bit,” but perhaps it shouldn`t be surprising that a driver known for engaging in all-night gaming sessions before race victories was able to maintain his focus and performance level.
Those who speculated otherwise were likely just indulging in wishful thinking.
Lando Norris: The Miami Factor
Shifting focus from the personal discussion, the front row features a familiar pairing from 2024: Verstappen versus Norris. Their battles often produced exciting moments.
Norris himself admitted he was fortunate to win the sprint race earlier that day, benefiting from a perfectly timed safety car deployment that allowed him to leapfrog his teammate and championship leader, Oscar Piastri. Interestingly, a safety car twelve months prior had also been instrumental in helping him secure his maiden F1 victory against Verstappen at this same venue.
“My luck in Miami seems pretty good at the minute, so I`m happy,” Norris remarked after the sprint. Piastri, in contrast, quipped that he wouldn`t be purchasing a lottery ticket in South Florida anytime soon.
Luck is subjective, and opinions may differ on whether Norris`s fortunate streak extended into Saturday`s qualifying session. Pole position could well have been his were it not for a less-than-optimal performance through Turn 17 at the end of his crucial Q3 lap. However, he can find reassurance in the fact that his Australian teammate starts fourth, not higher.
While beating Verstappen on Sunday will be a formidable challenge, given recent discussions about Norris`s form, finishing ahead of Piastri feels like a more immediately important objective for him this weekend.
Naturally, discussing the front runners overlooks another driver who made a significant impression on Saturday.
Andrea Kimi Antonelli Shines
Andrea Kimi Antonelli`s elation from securing sprint pole on Friday evening was quickly tempered. On Saturday afternoon, he was forced wide at Turn 1 by Piastri, losing the lead, and later involved in a collision with Verstappen in the pit lane, which dropped him further down the order.
However, that setback did not diminish his performance in the main qualifying session, where securing third position was a remarkable comeback. Antonelli has already impressed in his initial five races as a rookie, but this weekend marks the first time he has been consistently quicker than his teammate George Russell, who until Miami had been considered a potential outsider for the title.
Antonelli already holds several `youngest` records in motorsport – Friday`s sprint pole made him the youngest driver to claim pole position in any F1 event. Max Verstappen, the driver who holds many other such `youngest` records, has publicly endorsed the young Mercedes driver, predicting his continued improvement.
When asked by ESPN for his thoughts on Antonelli`s rookie season and his performance in Miami, Verstappen responded, “I`m not surprised. When you just start in Formula 1, there`s so much to learn, and to already be at this pace is very impressive, but I`m not surprised. He`ll only get better, to be honest. I think it`s as simple as that.”
Asked the same question, Norris humorously commented, “I think that fed his ego enough!”
Norris then added more seriously, “It`s a similar situation. He`s in Formula 1 for a reason. Everything else he did in his car racing career has been very strong. He`s got a very good teammate, a teammate that beat Lewis [Hamilton] over the last couple years, so if he`s now able to beat that teammate — being George [Russell] — then he`s clearly doing a very good job.”
Upon hearing the comments from both drivers, Antonelli held up his microphone and replied, “Too kind!”
Dominic Ashworth