Lando Norris delivered a statement performance under the Miami lights, securing sprint pole position with a time of 1:27.869 and reinforcing his status as the man to beat on a circuit where he claimed his first Formula 1 victory two years ago.
LANDO NORRIS IS ON #F1SPRINT POLE IN MIAMI! 👏🥇
— Formula 1 (@F1) May 1, 2026
IT'S ON! 👀#F1 #MiamiGP pic.twitter.com/vOPMK38DM3
Alongside him on the front row will be Kimi Antonelli, who produced a decisive lap at the very end of the session to secure second place, just 0.222 seconds adrift. It was a late surge from the Mercedes driver, whose qualifying had appeared underwhelming until that final effort, particularly for a team that introduced minimal upgrades for the Miami weekend.
The results are in from Sprint Qualifying… 💪
— Formula 1 (@F1) May 1, 2026
Lando Norris will lead the field away in tomorrow's #F1Sprint, ahead of Kimi Antonelli and team mate Oscar Piastri ⬇️#F1 #MiamiGP pic.twitter.com/9gVeGUuq7i
McLaren’s dominance was underlined by Oscar Piastri, who secured third place, 0.239 seconds behind his teammate, ensuring both papaya cars start near the front. Alongside him on the second row is Charles Leclerc, who could not replicate the promise shown in practice and finished 0.370 seconds off the pace in a disappointing qualifying session for Ferrari.
The third row features familiar rivals Max Verstappen and George Russell, separated by four tenths, while Lewis Hamilton lines up further back in seventh, 0.749 seconds down on Norris in the second Ferrari.
A standout performance came from Franco Colapinto, who placed his Alpine in eighth despite being over 1.4 seconds off the pace, highlighting both the progress of the team and the gap still separating the midfield from the front.
Completing the top ten are Isack Hadjar and Pierre Gasly.
Further down the grid, Audi pair Gabriel Bortoleto and Nico Hulkenberg were eliminated in SQ2 and will start from the sixth row, ahead of Oliver Bearman and Alexander Albon.
Carlos Sainz finds himself further back alongside Arvid Lindblad, while Liam Lawson and Esteban Ocon were among the first to fall in SQ1.
At the rear, it was a difficult session for Sergio Perez and Valtteri Bottas, whose Cadillac-powered cars struggled for pace, while Fernando Alonso and Lance Stroll rounded out the grid for an Aston Martin team enduring a challenging phase.
While McLaren celebrates a commanding pole, Ferrari is left to reflect on a missed opportunity after showing strong pace in practice, setting up a sprint race where the balance of power appears firmly tilted at the front.
