Lando Norris acknowledged that McLaren experienced a stark "reality check" after he secured fourth place on the grid for the Miami Grand Prix. Up until the qualifying session, Norris had been the standout performer of the weekend, having turned his Sprint pole position into a full‑race victory.
However, the advantage McLaren seemed to enjoy evaporated when Mercedes’ rookie Kimi Antonelli claimed pole for Sunday's main event, edging out Red Bull’s Max Verstappen and Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc. Antonelli’s lap was almost four‑tenths of a second quicker than Norris’s best time, prompting the Briton to suggest that McLaren’s rivals simply executed their qualifying runs more effectively than they had in the Sprint shootout. "Both cars clearly struggled a little more than on Friday, and we need to figure out why," Norris told Sky Sports F1.
"It’s not that we performed badly – it’s just that other teams did a better job on Friday and today they delivered what they needed to." He went on to point out that Mercedes were as quick as McLaren and that, when you examine the GPS data from Ferrari and Red Bull, there are numerous sectors where those teams posted faster times. "We did an excellent job yesterday and in the Sprint to win, but qualifying was a modest reality check. It simply reflected where we belong and where we should be, honestly." Norris added that the team was surprised by the speed they displayed on Friday, but he believes the contrast between the two sessions was more about other teams slipping rather than McLaren faltering.
"We’re not saying we did a terrible job – we just encountered a few hiccups," he concluded. Both McLaren drivers also dealt with minor power‑unit gremlins that hampered their overall performance. Oscar Piastri scraped into Q2 in 16th place and later managed only seventh on the grid, confirming that his car continued to suffer from deployment issues during the final part of qualifying.
"It was a tough session, very variable – wind, track conditions, and what the power unit wants to do all played a part," Piastri explained. "My middle sector was strong because I lost a lot of time on a super‑clip I didn’t expect, which gave me extra energy on the back straight, so that sector looked unusually quick." Meanwhile, Max Verstappen entered Miami with the goal of "escaping the midfield" after a three‑race stretch without a top‑five finish – a slump not seen since 2017. The Red Bull driver quickly found his car more stable through the corners, and his pace improved to the point where he was less than two‑tenths off Antonelli’s pole time. "It’s an incredible turnaround for us.
I didn’t feel in control of the car until this weekend, and I wasn’t sure what would happen," Verstappen told Sky Sports F1. "The team delivered a solid performance upgrade that made the car far more drivable. The moment I got back in the cockpit in Miami it felt great – a massive step up.
Being on the front row is a pleasant surprise and a huge boost for the whole team. It shows we’re heading in the right direction." Red Bull’s technical director Laurent Mekies hinted that the team still has work to do, noting that "we don’t have everything fixed yet," suggesting further improvements could be on the horizon. The forecast of rain for Sunday adds another variable, potentially turning Verstappen into an even bigger threat. Mekies elaborated, "After Japan we knew we had serious homework to understand the limitations we were facing.
Max and the team had nothing they could push with, regardless of the competition. There’s been amazing work across the chassis and power‑unit departments in Milton Keynes to get to the root of those constraints." Lewis Hamilton, mirroring his Sprint Qualifying performance, qualified sixth but was within two‑tenths of his Ferrari teammate Charles Leclerc – the closest raw pace he’s shown all weekend.
Ferrari introduced eleven upgrades, including a new suspension layout and revised floor, yet Hamilton expressed frustration with lingering power‑unit issues. "The car felt much better in qualifying, so I don’t think we had any power problems there.
It was the best it’s been all weekend," Hamilton said. "We changed the balance and I was a lot happier with it. I wish we’d started the weekend with that setup. Q2 was solid, but in Q3 I struggled to extract the maximum." When asked whether Ferrari’s upgrades had paid off, Hamilton replied, "I’m not sure if they’ve given us more confidence yet, but the team did a fantastic job bringing the upgrades.
They’ve worked incredibly hard and I’m very grateful. Other teams are doing different things with their cars, so we need to keep looking at development.
I know we’re pushing hard and there’s more to come." He added, "We’re still a bit slower on the straights, but we improved a lot in this session. Before this weekend we were about four‑to‑five tenths off on the straights, and I’m not sure if that gap still exists. It feels like we’ve taken a step forward.
It may not show in the result yet, but I’m optimistic for the race." The weekend schedule includes a F2 Feature Race at 2.25 pm on Sunday, followed by the Miami Grand Prix build‑up at 4 pm, the main race at 6 pm, a post‑race reaction segment at 8 pm, and Ted’s Notebook at 9 pm, all broadcast on Sky Sports Main Event. Formula 1 returns to Miami as the 2026 season resumes, with live coverage available via Sky Sports F1 and streaming through NOW, offering a contract‑free, cancel‑anytime option.