It was a moment that redefined the record books and heralded the arrival of the brightest young talent in Formula 1.
Andrea Kimi Antonelli’s pole lap for the F1 Miami Grand Prix sprint race was as spine-tingling as it it was significant. He confirmed his arrival at the sport’s top table with a scintillating lap that was not only a new record for the Miami Grand Prix, but at 18 years and 250 days old he also became the youngest polesitter in any format in Formula 1.
Those of us who have followed Antonelli’s career closely, Friday’s achievement at Hard Rock Stadium reconfirms the feeling that he is a special talent and underlines the brave decision Mercedes boss Toto Wolff made in selecting the teenager to fill the shoes of Hamilton when he announced he was joining Ferrari.
At the time, there were those in the paddock who scoffed at the idea of promoting the team’s young driver citing that perhaps out-of-work Carlos Sainz would have been a better option. But those doubters have now been silenced in the emphatic lap that totalled a smidge over 86 seconds.
Antonelli has been quietly going about his business. An incredibly personable character who first faced the F1 media at Silverstone last year. At the time, he had been linked with the seat at Mercedes and spoke openly about his ambition to reach F1. He was not boastful or over-confident. He was honest, spoke with an openness. It was refreshing.
Antonelli, who attended the Autosport Awards in January, celebrated the pole over the team’s radio with exuberance, but it was the reaction from those around him that offered up perhaps the most emotional moment.
