George Russell confessed that he was taken aback when Mercedes' flawless run of pole positions at the start of the 2026 Formula 1 season was halted by Lando Norris, who clinched the top spot in the Miami Grand Prix sprint qualifying session for McLaren. The German team had enjoyed an almost unassailable opening to the year, securing pole and converting it into victory in each of the first three rounds – a performance that set a high bar for the rest of the field. However, the five‑week hiatus that followed the Japanese Grand Prix gave rival outfits the opportunity to introduce substantial upgrades, and the impact of those improvements was evident on the first day of on‑track action in the Florida heat. Norris posted the fastest lap, edging out Russell's teammate and current championship leader, Kimi Antonelli, while the British driver found himself down in sixth place.
Also ahead of him were McLaren’s other runner, Oscar Piastri, Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc and Red Bull’s Max Verstappen. The competitive landscape in Miami was shaped largely by the development packages each team brought. McLaren, Ferrari and Red Bull all arrived with extensive upgrades that appeared to unlock significant performance gains. In contrast, Mercedes introduced only a handful of new components, opting to hold back a larger, more comprehensive package for the upcoming Canadian Grand Prix in May.
"It was pretty surprising to see how big a step McLaren and Ferrari have taken – that's really impressive," Russell remarked after the session. "We knew they were closing the gap, but they were genuinely quicker than us all day." He added a personal note about the circuit itself: "Miami isn’t a track I love, especially when it’s scorching, but this was just sprint qualifying.
Let’s see what tomorrow brings." Antonelli, who currently leads the drivers’ standings after back‑to‑back wins in China and Japan, appeared to have the upper hand over his teammate throughout the day. He capped his performance with a clean lap at the end of the sprint qualifying, splitting the two McLarens and reinforcing his position at the top of the leaderboard. When asked about his own session, Antonelli described it as "pretty messy".
He explained that the medium‑compound tyre struggled to deliver a competitive lap, but the moment they switched to the soft tyre the car suddenly found its rhythm. "I think there was still a little bit left on the table. Despite the challenges, it was a decent result and the team did a great job recovering.
We’ll dig deep tonight to see how we can improve our pace," he said. Norris, who has been consistently quick throughout the Friday schedule, now sees a genuine chance to chip away at the 47‑point deficit he faces against Antonelli in the championship. The reigning world champion expressed confidence in his McLaren, yet admitted surprise at the narrow two‑tenths margin separating him from the rest of the field. "I feel very good and I’m happy for the team.
There are always huge expectations and a lot of work goes into bringing upgrades. It’s hard to predict exactly how a car will behave over a new weekend," Norris explained.
"From the first lap, literally from turn one, the car felt better – more like last year, giving me confidence. I think we exploited that throughout the day.
It’s a nice start to the weekend, maybe a little better than we expected, but still a pleasant surprise." The strong McLaren showing was reinforced by Oscar Piastri, who secured third place, echoing the dominant form the team displayed for much of the previous season. While McLaren’s upgrades have propelled them to the front, Ferrari’s extensive development – the team listed eleven new parts with the FIA, including a revised floor and suspension – has not translated into the same level of performance. Lewis Hamilton, who qualified seventh, was nearly eight‑tenths of a second off Norris’s pole time and expressed disappointment.
"We didn’t really know what to expect. I hoped we would be better, but the car didn’t feel particularly great," the seven‑time champion said.
"I thought we would be stronger today. We need to work overnight to understand why we’re not quick enough. I came in hopeful and positive, but it just wasn’t meant to be." Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc topped the practice times and was fastest in the second part of sprint qualifying, leading many to anticipate a strong pole challenge. However, he was unable to convert his medium‑tyre speed onto the soft compound when it mattered most.
Leclerc remained optimistic about race pace, noting that every team brought upgrades and that Mercedes, once the clear benchmark, now faced a serious threat from McLaren. "The upgrades are fine – everyone brought upgrades. We expected Mercedes to be the car to beat, but McLaren have taken a big step forward," he said. "We struggled with tyres today – the medium worked well but the soft didn’t feel right, so we’ll need to look at that." Red Bull’s Max Verstappen, who has voiced frustration with the new 2026 regulations and even hinted at his future beyond the season, delivered a markedly improved performance in Miami.
He finished fifth, ahead of both Russell and Hamilton, marking a significant jump from his best qualifying position of eighth in the first three rounds. "It feels more together now. There are still things we’re working on, but it’s a positive step. In the last few races we were over a second off the pace – we’ve almost halved that gap," Verstappen observed.
"We’re still weak in the high‑speed first sector, so we know we need to work on that, but the rest of the car feels more cohesive. It seems we’ve cleared the midfield and can trust the car a bit more, allowing me to extract a little extra lap time." The weekend schedule is packed: on Saturday, May 2, the F2 sprint will run at 2.55 pm, followed by a Miami GP sprint build‑up at 4 pm, the sprint itself at 5 pm, and a series of analysis shows throughout the evening. Sunday, May 3, will feature the F2 feature race at 5.25 pm, a Grand Prix build‑up at 7 pm, the main race at 9 pm, and post‑race reaction shows into the early hours of Monday.
For fans wanting to follow every twist and turn, Sky Sports will broadcast the Miami Grand Prix live, with streaming available via NOW without a long‑term contract. The event marks the first sprint weekend of the 2026 season, and the results in Florida could prove pivotal as the championship battle intensifies heading into the next round in Canada.