Antonelli Won Miami Qualifying by Half a Second in the First Sector Alone

The rest of the lap was a victory lap. Mercedes found something in the low-speed section that nobody else had.

Antonelli's fastest lap in Miami qualifying was 0.964 seconds quicker than Colapinto's. The first sector accounted for 0.504 of that gap.

The remaining two sectors — twelve corners, one long straight — contributed less than the opening five turns.

Key Finding

Antonelli was 0.5s faster than Colapinto through five corners. The remaining twelve barely mattered.

One sector did the work

ANT vs COL — sector-by-sector breakdown

The first bar is bigger than the other two combined. That's the entire story.

▲ ANT faster▼ COL faster

S1: +0.504s · S2: +0.255s · S3: +0.205s

Key Finding

Antonelli was 0.5s faster than Colapinto through five corners. The remaining twelve barely mattered.

Sector one at Miami is five corners over 21 seconds. Three of them are taken below 120 km/h. It is where low-speed mechanical grip matters most, and where Mercedes had something nobody else brought.

Colapinto lost half a second before the back straight even began. He clawed back two tenths in sector two, another two in sector three. He finished P8. Antonelli took pole.

Where the lap was decided

ANT (Lap 14) vs COL (Lap 16) — fastest laps compared

The gap opens in the first five turns and stays open. The rest is maintenance.

ANT (Lap 14)COL (Lap 16)

Fastest laps: ANT Lap 14, COL Lap 16.

Key Finding

Antonelli was 0.5s faster than Colapinto through five corners. The remaining twelve barely mattered.

Colapinto had three laps deleted for track limits. All three at Turn 15, the final corner before the pit straight. He was searching for time in the only place he had left to find it.

Antonelli had one lap deleted, at Turn 5 — the end of sector one. He had margin to give.

Key Finding

Antonelli was 0.5s faster than Colapinto through five corners. The remaining twelve barely mattered.

Montreal has six corners under 100 km/h. If Mercedes brought something for Miami's tight sections, Canada will tell us whether they can do it twice.

Alistair Drum

@@alistair_drum

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