Lando Norris has conceded that McLaren experienced a sobering "reality check" after he secured a fourth‑place start for the Miami Grand Prix. Up until the final qualifying session, Norris had been the standout performer of the weekend, having turned his Sprint Qualifying pole into a race win. Yet the advantage McLaren seemed to enjoy evaporated when Mercedes’ rookie Kimi Antonelli clinched 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 faster than Norris’s, prompting the Briton to suggest that McLaren’s rivals simply executed their qualifying runs more effectively than they had in the Sprint.
"Both cars clearly struggled a bit more than on Friday and we need to understand why," Norris told Sky Sports F1. "It’s not that we did a bad job, but other people did a bad job on Friday and today they did the job they should have done." He added that Mercedes appeared as quick as McLaren, and that when you examine the GPS data from Ferrari and Red Bull, there are numerous sectors where those teams were faster. "We did a very good job yesterday and in the Sprint to win, but qualifying was a little reality check – it showed us where we really belong and where we should be, honestly." Norris reflected on the surprise of Friday’s speed, attributing it to a combination of his own strong performance and the relative under‑performance of rivals. "We were surprised how quick we were on Friday, but it was more because we did a good job and others didn’t.
Today the situation flipped a bit. It’s not that we performed poorly; we just struggled a little." Both McLaren drivers also dealt with minor power‑unit gremlins that hampered their pace.
Oscar Piastri barely made it into Q2, qualifying sixteenth, and later managed only seventh on the grid, confirming that his power‑unit issues persisted through the final part of qualifying. "It was a bit tough.
The session was very variable – wind, track conditions, what the power unit wants to do – it all felt a little random, especially the last lap of Q3," Piastri explained. He noted a strange incident in the middle sector that gave him a temporary advantage before a loss of time on a super‑clip altered his rhythm. Verstappen entered Miami with the aim of "escaping the midfield" after a three‑race stretch without a top‑five finish – a slump not seen since 2017. The Red Bull driver, however, showed marked improvement, staying within two‑tenths of Antonelli’s pole time.
"It’s an incredible turnaround for us. I really didn’t feel in control of the car until this weekend.
I didn’t know what would happen with it," Verstappen said to Sky Sports F1. He praised the team’s recent upgrade package, which he described as making the car far more drivable. "The team have brought a really good performance upgrade – it clicked as soon as I got in the car.
It felt great, a lot better. Being on the front row is a surprise, but we take it.
It’s a massive boost for the whole team and we’re heading in the right direction." Red Bull’s technical director Laurent Mekies hinted that the work is not finished, noting that the team does not yet have "everything fixed". With rain forecast for Sunday, Verstappen could become an even greater threat if the conditions suit the upgraded chassis. Mekies added, "We left Japan knowing we had serious homework to do – understanding the limitations we faced. Max and the team have been pushing hard, and there’s been amazing work across the chassis and power‑unit areas in Milton Keynes to get to the bottom of what was holding us back." Lewis Hamilton, mirroring his Sprint Qualifying performance, qualified sixth, just two‑tenths off his Ferrari teammate Charles Leclerc – the closest raw pace Hamilton has been to the Italian squad all weekend.
Ferrari introduced eleven upgrades, including a new suspension geometry and revised floor, yet Hamilton highlighted lingering power‑unit concerns. "The car was much better in qualifying, so I don’t think we had any power issues.
That was the best it’s been this weekend," he said. "We changed the car and I was much, much happier with it. I wish I’d started the weekend with that balance. Q2 was solid, but in Q3 I struggled to extract the most." When asked whether Ferrari’s upgrades had paid off, Hamilton admitted uncertainty but expressed gratitude.
"I don’t know if it’s leaving us with more confidence, but the team did a great job bringing the upgrades. They’ve worked so hard, I’m incredibly 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. We’re still losing a bit on the straights, but we improved a lot in this session. Before this weekend we were four‑to‑five tenths down on the straights; I’m not sure if that’s still the case now, but I feel we took a step forward.
It doesn’t show in my 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 GP build‑up at 4 pm, the Grand Prix itself 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. As the 2026 season resumes in Miami, fans can stream the action live via Sky Sports F1 and the NOW platform, with no contract required and the option to cancel at any time.