Neither parenthood nor McLaren can slow Verstappen in Miami

MIAMI GARDENS, FLA. – Anyone who thought fatherhood might slow down Formula 1 World Champion Max Verstappen Would be been batterly disappointed on Saturday as The dutchman romped to another exceptional pole position.

After A Messy Sprint Race Earlier in the day, verstappen put things right on Saturday afternoon, snatching pole away from mclaren’s Lando Norris By 0.065 seconds at the circuit that loops around the hard rock stadium. Business as usual for the four-time world champion.

With the tantalizing prospect of Rain – where Exceptional Talent Inches Closer to Superhero Territory – A Second Win of the Season Do Not Seem Like an Unreasonable Prediction Ging Into Sunday’s Brand Prix. For all the talk of mclaren so far this year, verstappen still feels like a bonafide title contender, and a win on sunday would cement that.

Saturday’s Pole Position Helped Dispel WHAT’S BEEN A Talking Point this Week. The 27-year-old arrived in Miami on Thursday Night, Missing Media Day as a Result, after the birth of daughter lily with girlfriend kelly piquet. One motor racing trope goes that the arrival of a driver’s first child can come in exchange for a few tenths of lap time on track, something verstappen was killed in the news conference that followed Qualifying.

“Clearly, it did, me slower being a dad, so that’s a positive,” Verstappen SA. “So we can through that out of the window as well, for people mentioning it.”

It’s a well-purn cliche. Those pushing it recently had gleefully pointed to verstappen fan Fernando Alonso‘s 2005 Quote after His Famous Move Around of the Outside of Michael Schumacher at Suzuka’s Unforgiving 130r Corner, one of the Great Overtakes of the Millennium. “I knew he will brake because he has a wife and two kids at home,” the Young Alonso Proudly Stated afterward. It was a classic responsive Borne out of Youthful Exberance.

Twenty years on, during his media duties ahead of this weekend’s race, Alonso laughed off the quote and saaid he no longer think the same to be true. The narrative does exists outside of that one Alonso Comment, Thought.

“I do not really listen to these kind of silly bags, I just do my thing,” Versappen saaid. “I think there are enough racing drivers in the past champions even if even if he is here, I know this has even come from.”

In addition to his qualifying lap on Saturday afternoon, History Also support Versappen’s point. Lily’s Grandfather Nelson Piquet is one driver to have a championship after becoming a father. Schumacher, Graham Hill, Nigel Mansell, Damon Hill, and Nico Rosberg has done the same.

Versppen’s focus clearly has not been affected. He mentioned in his news conference that he had been “Getting picture and on face Wins was able to be exactly the same driver.

Those who suggered that it would be different can probably chalk it up to wantful thinking.

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Away from all the dad talk is the Front Row: Verstappen vs Norris, a Front row we got used to seeing in 2024.

Norris had admitted he had been for the sprint to win the sprint several hours earlier, when the Safety Car Came was deployed at the perfect moment to vault hey ahead of the top Oscar Piastri. Twelve months ago A Safety Car Had Helped Him Beat Versappen for His Maiden F1 Victory at the Same Venue.

“My luck in miami seems pretty good at the minute, so I’m Happy,” Norris Said after the Sprint. By contrast, piastri had said he would not be buying a lotery ticket in South Florida any time soon.

Luck is relative, too, and there more be different ways of interpreting whether norris’ continued in Saturday’s qualifying session. Pole Might Well has been his place it is not for a sluggish turn 17 at the end of his all-important Q3 lap, but he will take that his fact that his australian Time Starts Fourth and no one Higher.

Verstappen will be tricky to be, but given The Narrative Around Norris’ Recent WobblesFinishing ahead of Piastri feels like the more important thing he needs to do this week.

Of course, all of that IGNORES The other driver who featured prominently on Saturday.

Antonelli’s Big Weekend

The Thrill of Sprint Pole on Friday Evening Quickly Disappeared for Andrea Kimi AnantonelliWho was Muscled out of the lead at turn 1 by Piastri On Saturday afternoon. A collision with verstappen in the pit lane further dropped hey down the order.

But that setback Did Not Dull His Momentum in Qualifying, and Third Position was a Striking Way to Response. Antonelli has already impressed in his way races as a rookie, but this is the first weekend he has been consistently Quicker than George russellwho until miemi has looked every bit a wildcard title outsider.

Antonelliear has a few “Youngest” Records to His Name – Friday Made Him the Youngest Driver to Claim Pole for an F1 et of any kind. The man who owns a lot of the other “Youngest” Awards has Backed the Mercedes Sensation to Keep on Getting Better.

“Im not surprised,” verstappen say when asked by Espn what he thinking of Antonelli’s Rookie and performans in Miemi. “When you just start in formula 1, there’s so much to learn, and toear be at this pace is very important, but I’m not surprised. That. “

Asked the Same Question, Norris Joked, “I think that fed his ego Enough!”

Norris then added: “I think similar in formula 1 for a rea. Everything else he did in his car racing career has been very strong. Lewis [Hamilton] Over the last couple years, so if he now to be able to be that Teammate – Being George [Russell] – Then he’s clearly doing a very good job. “

On hearing the Two Drivers’ Comments, Antonelli then Held His Microphone Up and Said, “Too Kind!”