Although points in a traditional F1 Grand Prix weekend are handed out on Sunday, Saturday is just as important for drivers and teams. Why? Because it’s qualifying day. As Will Buxton so clearly put it in Drive to Survive Season 1, it’s the session that sets the order for the main event. Not all 20 drivers are realistically fighting for pole position. Most aim for a spot that reflects their car’s true potential. But one thing is common—they all push to deliver their best lap. Undeniably.
That said, at the upcoming Grand Prix weekend in Miami, the top drivers may not want to give their best in qualifying after all.
There’s a curse at the Miami International Autodrome—one that has seen no driver win the race after starting from pole position. In the three editions of the Miami GP so far, not even a driver starting from P2 has managed to take the victory.
Max Verstappen has won the Miami GP twice—once from third on the grid and once from P9. Meanwhile, Lando Norris claimed his maiden F1 victory at the circuit last year, starting from P5. So, does this mean drivers will abandon qualifying altogether and just focus on the race?
It’s unlikely.
Pole position = 2nd in the race
That’s what the first three editions of the Miami Grand Prix have given us!
Pole position, and in fact, front row starters are yet to win this race.
Wins from:
2024: Norris (5th)
2023: Verstrappen (9th)
2022: Verstappen (3rd) pic.twitter.com/dw30u1iOQ9— Kunal Shah (@kunalashah) April 29, 2025
As is the case with any curse, it lasts only until someone breaks it. Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc knows that well.
For over half a decade, bad luck plagued his outings at the Monaco GP, with many even labeling it his “Monaco Curse.” But he defied the odds, secured pole position, and drove a flawless race to take the win last year—bringing an end to it.
In reality, the so-called ‘curse’ in Miami could simply be due to the front row being in a disadvantageous position on the circuit—or more likely, it’s just a coincidence tied to some bad luck for the previous three pole sitters: Charles Leclerc, Sergio Perez, and Max Verstappen.
Besides, each of those drivers still finished second in their respective races, which suggests that starting from pole isn’t such a bad spot after all. So, as with any other race weekend, the drivers will be pushing hard to clinch pole position in Miami.
Additionally, pole position carries even more weight in 2025, as the season so far has often been decided in qualifying. Four of the five race winners this year have started from pole, with McLaren’s Oscar Piastri being the only exception—winning the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix from second.
So, it seems highly likely that the pole position curse in Miami could finally be broken this weekend. And if it is, chances are it’ll quickly be forgotten.
