MIAMI (Reuters) - Formula One championship leader Charles Leclerc took pole position for the inaugural Miami Grand Prix ahead of Ferrari team mate Carlos Sainz in a front row lockout in qualifying.
The pole was the Monegasque’s third in five races this season, and 12th of his career as well as the first time Ferrari had secured the top two grid positions since the 2019 Mexican Grand Prix.
Formula One world champion Max Verstappen qualified third for Red Bull, after initially looking like he would take the top slot with the fastest first flying lap, with Mexican team mate Sergio Perez fourth.
Sainz’s front row slot, 0.190 of a second slower than Leclerc’s time of one minute 28.796 seconds, marked a strong return from the Spaniard after he crashed heavily in Friday practice.
Verstappen was 0.195 off the pole — and 0.005 off the front row — after having to slow on his final attempt when he pushed a bit too hard.