Formula One world champion Lando Norris clinched pole position for the Miami Grand Prix sprint race, beating Mercedes’ Kimi Antonelli and preventing McLaren from a front-row lockout. Norris, familiar with the Miami circuit from previous races, clocked an impressive lap time of 1:27.869, attributing the success to recent team upgrades.
Delighted with the outcome, Norris praised the team’s efforts, stating, “A perfect result for us. A nice way to reward the team.” He highlighted the new car upgrades that provided improved grip, acknowledging the hard work put in by the team members.
Securing pole position for Saturday’s 100km sprint, Norris narrowly outpaced Antonelli by 0.222 seconds. Behind Antonelli were Piastri and Leclerc in third and fourth place respectively. The upcoming race at Hard Rock Stadium on Sunday marks the fourth round of the season.
Norris, who triumphed in last year’s Miami sprint and secured second place in the main race, expressed his affection for the venue while maintaining realistic expectations. He mentioned, “I’ve always loved Miami on and off the track,” emphasizing that it was just the beginning of the weekend.
The McLaren driver spoke positively about the Hard Rock Stadium but remained cautious about his chances of victory in both the sprint and the main race. Noting Mercedes’ early dominance in the season, Norris became the first driver to displace them from pole position this season due to McLaren’s recent car enhancements.
Max Verstappen from Red Bull Racing qualified in fifth place, while Russell, currently second in the championship, finished sixth, narrowing the gap to Antonelli. Hamilton and Colapinto completed the top eight in qualifying. Russell expressed surprise at McLaren and Ferrari’s performance improvements, stating, “Pretty surprising how big a jump McLaren and Ferrari made.”
Acknowledging his own challenges, Russell admitted to struggling on the Miami track, especially in warmer conditions. Despite this, he remained optimistic for the upcoming races, saying, “It’s only Sprint Qualifying, so let’s see what tomorrow brings.” Isack Hadjar and Pierre Gasly secured the ninth and tenth positions, while Aston Martin faced a disappointing session with Alonso and Stroll at the back of the grid, even behind newcomers Cadillac.
