World champion Lando Norris broke the Mercedes monopoly on pole positions in the 2026 season by delivering the fastest lap in Sprint Qualifying for the Miami Grand Prix, putting McLaren’s newly upgraded car at the head of the grid. This achievement marked the first time a non‑Mercedes driver has started a sprint weekend from pole since the season began, underscoring the rapid pace of development across the field after a five‑week hiatus. The return of Formula 1 after a month‑long break saw the hierarchy that had characterised the opening three rounds in March upended. While Mercedes had enjoyed a clear advantage early on, the Miami event highlighted how aggressively the leading teams have been introducing aerodynamic and power‑unit upgrades.
McLaren, Ferrari and Red Bull all arrived with substantial packages, and the results on track reflected the shift. Norris, who has yet to finish higher than fourth in either a sprint or a Grand Prix during his current title defence, posted a benchmark lap of 1:27.869 on the Miami International Autodrome to claim his first pole of the year. The British driver’s performance was especially impressive given the limited time he had to extract the maximum from the updated MCL‑40.
His pole was followed closely by championship leader Kimi Antonelli, who was just two tenths slower, while Mercedes’ lead driver, George Russell, could only manage sixth after a difficult session. Mercedes introduced fewer updates in Miami compared with their rivals, opting to save a larger development package for the next race in Canada.
The limited changes meant their pace lagged behind the McLaren and Ferrari packages, which featured a host of aerodynamic refinements and power‑unit tweaks. Russell admitted the gap was “pretty surprising” and praised the magnitude of McLaren’s and Ferrari’s progress, noting that the teams were consistently faster throughout the day. Oscar Piastri rounded out the podium, reinforcing McLaren’s resurgence.
Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc, who had topped the sole practice session and led SQ2, finished fourth after a strong showing in the SF‑26, a car equipped with eleven distinct upgrades aimed at closing the performance deficit. Max Verstappen, who had been dominant in previous sprint events, took fifth place, while his Red Bull teammate Isack Hadjar fell back to ninth, indicating that Red Bull’s improvements were still a work in progress.
Lewis Hamilton, now driving for Ferrari, qualified seventh, trailing his teammate Leclerc by roughly three‑tenths of a second. The former Mercedes star’s performance suggested that Ferrari’s recent upgrades were beginning to bear fruit, even if they have not yet overtaken the front‑running McLaren.
Aston Martin was the only team that arrived without any aerodynamic modifications, and despite Honda’s efforts to resolve vibration issues in their power unit, the team remained at the back of the grid. Lance Stroll failed to set a time after spinning early in the session, while Fernando Alonso’s 21st‑fastest lap was an outlier, ten seconds slower than the cars that qualified directly ahead of him. The final qualifying order highlighted the shifting balance of power: 1) Lando Norris (McLaren) 2) Kimi Antonelli (Mercedes) 3) Oscar Piastri (McLaren) 4) Charles Leclerc (Ferrari) 5) Max Verstappen (Red Bull) 6) George Russell (Mercedes) 7) Lewis Hamilton (Ferrari) 8) Franco Colapinto (Alpine) 9) Isack Hadjar (Red Bull) 10) Pierre Gasly (Alpine).
This top‑ten snapshot illustrated how McLaren’s extensive upgrades have propelled them back to the front, while Mercedes appears to be regrouping for a stronger showing in Canada. Norris’s performance was not just a flash of speed; it was a statement of intent.
He topped SQ1, stumbled in SQ2 to fall to seventh, but then produced a flawless final lap that broke the 88‑second barrier, a feat no other driver managed. After the session, Norris expressed his satisfaction, saying, “I feel very good.
I’m very happy for the team. It’s always a lot of expectations, and a lot of work has gone into these upgrades.
Since lap one, literally turn one, everything felt better. It felt a little bit more like last year, with confidence in the car, and I exploited that throughout the day.” The weekend schedule featured a packed lineup: a Formula 2 sprint on Saturday afternoon, the Miami Sprint itself, followed by Ted’s Sprint Notebook and a build‑up to the main qualifying session. Sunday’s programme included the F2 Feature Race, a Grand Prix build‑up, the Miami Grand Prix, and post‑race analysis.
All events were broadcast on Sky Sports, with streaming options available via NOW for viewers without a contract. In summary, the Miami sprint weekend signalled a turning point in the 2026 campaign. McLaren’s aggressive upgrade strategy has paid dividends, allowing Norris to break Mercedes’ pole streak and re‑establish the team as a front‑runner.
Mercedes, while still a title contender, will need to accelerate their development timetable to keep pace. Ferrari’s incremental gains suggest they are narrowing the gap, and Red Bull’s modest improvement hints at a possible resurgence later in the season. As the calendar moves to Canada, the battle for supremacy is set to intensify, with each team eager to capitalize on the momentum generated in Miami.