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By Open Chronicle with Agencies
Lando Norris delivered a commanding performance to secure pole position for the Sprint race at the Miami Grand Prix, leading a strong showing for McLaren in a tightly contested qualifying session.
The Sprint Qualifying unfolded under high temperatures and evolving track conditions, creating an unpredictable environment across all three segments. Early on, McLaren, Ferrari, and Mercedes appeared closely matched, with times fluctuating as drivers adapted to the improving grip levels.
In SQ1, Norris and teammate Oscar Piastri set the early pace after overcoming a disrupted run caused by a yellow flag. Charles Leclerc kept Ferrari firmly in contention, while Mercedes showed signs of inconsistency compared to previous races.
The balance of power remained tight in SQ2, where Leclerc topped the session ahead of Piastri. Max Verstappen struggled to match the frontrunners, finishing the segment in fifth. Brazilian rookie Gabriel Bortoleto came close to advancing but narrowly missed out on a place in the final segment, ending in 11th.
The decisive SQ3 session, limited to just eight minutes, turned into a one-shot contest. After George Russell initially set the benchmark, Norris responded with a standout lap, finishing more than six tenths of a second clear of the field, a rare margin in modern Formula 1 qualifying.
Kimi Antonelli secured second place for Mercedes, outperforming Russell by a notable margin, while Piastri completed the top three to underline McLaren’s strong pace in Miami.
Leclerc finished fourth, followed by Verstappen in fifth. Russell placed sixth ahead of Lewis Hamilton, while Franco Colapinto, Isack Hadjar, and Pierre Gasly rounded out the top ten.
Further down the grid, Audi continued to show consistent race pace but struggled to extract maximum performance in qualifying. Bortoleto’s narrow elimination from SQ3 highlighted the fine margins separating the midfield.
The session also exposed notable gaps between teammates, with Antonelli comfortably ahead of Russell and Verstappen significantly outpacing Hadjar at Red Bull.
With Norris starting from pole for the Sprint, McLaren heads into the weekend with momentum, while rivals Ferrari and Mercedes will look to respond as the Miami event unfolds.
1) Lando Norris (McLaren/Mercedes), 1’27.869
2) Kimi Antonelli (Mercedes), 1’28.091
3) Oscar Piastri (McLaren/Mercedes), 1’28.108
4) Charles Leclerc (Ferrari), 1’28.239
5) Max Verstappen (Red Bull/Red Bull Ford), 1’28.461
6) George Russell (Mercedes), 1’28.493
7) Lewis Hamilton (Ferrari), 1’28.618
8) Franco Colapinto (Alpine/Mercedes), 1’29.320
9) Isack Hadjar (Red Bull/Red Bull Ford), 1’29.422
10) Pierre Gasly (Alpine/Mercedes), 1’29.474
11) Gabriel Bortoleto (Audi), 1’29.994
12) Nico Hülkenberg (Audi), 1’30.019
13) Oliver Bearman (Haas/Ferrari), 1’30.116
14) Alexander Albon (Williams/Mercedes), 1’30.216
15) Carlos Sainz (Williams/Mercedes), 1’30.224
16) Arvid Lindblad (Racing Bulls/Red Bull Ford), 1’30.573
17) Liam Lawson (Racing Bulls/Red Bull Ford), 1’31.043
18) Esteban Ocon (Haas/Ferrari), 1’31.245
19) Sergio Pérez (Cadillac/Ferrari), 1’31.255
20) Valtteri Bottas (Cadillac/Ferrari), 1’31.826
21) Fernando Alonso (Aston Martin/Honda), 1’41.311
22) Lance Stroll (Aston Martin/Honda), N/time