Lando Norris feels that McLaren squandered a genuine chance to claim their first Grand Prix win of the 2026 season after being out‑maneuvered by Kimi Antonelli in Miami. Heading into the sole pit‑stop window of the Sunday race, Norris held a comfortable lead of almost two seconds over the Italian rookie. However, Mercedes elected to bring their driver into the pits first, granting Antonelli the advantage of fresher rubber and a lap of clear air that Norris could not match.
When McLaren finally called Norris in, he emerged just ahead of Antonelli, but the younger driver possessed superior momentum on his new tyres. By Turn 4, Antonelli had overtaken Norris and never looked back, securing a hat‑trick of wins for the season and extending his lead in the Drivers’ Championship to 20 points over George Russell. Norris crossed the finish line three seconds behind the victor and could barely contain his frustration, exclaiming, “How did we not win this? We should have won, guys.” In the post‑race interview Norris pinpointed the undercut as the decisive factor.
“We were undercut – there’s no other excuse. We should have boxed first. Kimi did a great job, hats off to Mercedes and Kimi – they ran a brilliant race,” he said. He added, “I’m gutted to miss out on a win here in Miami.
I think it was possible today, but we didn’t have the pace to get past him at the end, so we have to take it on the chin. Still, it was a positive weekend overall.” McLaren arrived in Miami with a substantial upgrade package that, on paper, should have given them an edge over Mercedes. Norris had turned his Sprint pole into a strong start, qualifying fourth for the main race and then battling his way past Charles Leclerc and Antonelli in the early stages to find himself in the lead. Despite the promising pace, the team’s strategic timing proved costly.
Norris acknowledged that Antonelli may have simply been faster at that stage of the race, but he also questioned why McLaren did not act more proactively. “We have to be honest – we should have boxed earlier.
We shouldn’t have waited,” he told Sky Sports F1. “He was noticeably quicker at that point.
I told the team I wasn’t matching his pace, and we didn’t seem to do much about it. We need to review our decisions. We could have fought harder for the win.
Maybe his pace would still have been superior, but we could have done more to defend.” Team principal Andrea Stella echoed the sentiment, confirming that the team had a clear shot at victory. “We had an opportunity to win, 100 percent,” Stella said. “We were being chased by a car that was a little bit faster, and we were also monitoring the weather. When Kimi pitted, his out‑lap was phenomenal.
We couldn’t match it on the in‑lap, and we lost a bit of time in execution.” He added that, despite the disappointment, the team was pleased with the overall performance and the progress made through recent upgrades. “We could have done better, but we’re very happy. We’ll take the positives from this weekend.
New parts are on the way for the upcoming races, so it’s an exciting time ahead.” The outcome widened the gap in the Constructors’ Championship, with Mercedes pulling further ahead of McLaren. Oscar Piastri finished third, while George Russell took fourth, leaving the Silver Arrows 68 points ahead of Ferrari and 86 points clear of McLaren.
Earlier in the season, McLaren had suffered a major points loss in China after both cars failed to start, but they rebounded in Japan and appeared to be on par with Mercedes in Miami. Stella reminded everyone not to forget the challenges the team faced at the start of the year. “We came from a relatively difficult start of the season, but we reacted,” he said. “Internally we always knew what we were capable of, and we’ve demonstrated that now.
A huge thank you to the team for the hard work that delivered upgrades across the car, making us competitive.” He conceded that Mercedes still held a slight advantage but stressed that the championship is long and anything can happen. "We’re in a good position, and the season is far from over," he concluded. Looking ahead, Formula 1 will move to Montreal for the Canadian Grand Prix, which will also feature a Sprint weekend. Fans can watch the action live on Sky Sports F1 from May 22‑24, with streaming options available through NOW without a contract.
The next race will provide McLaren another opportunity to fine‑tune their strategy and possibly turn the tide in the championship battle.