2026 Sprint Qualifying Report & Results Miami F1 Sprint

Event: Miami Grand Prix
Track: Miami International Autodrome

Weather: 31°C Sunny & Dry
Tarmac: 51°C Dry
Humidity : 54%
Wind : 7.2 km//h North-East
Pressure: 1010 mbar

Norris Strikes Back With Miami Sprint Pole

Lando Norris put McLaren back on top in Miami, beating championship leader Kimi Antonelli to Sprint pole as the papaya squad’s upgrade package made an immediate statement at the Miami International Autodrome.

McLaren Finally Lands Its Punch

After Mercedes had controlled the early-season one-lap headlines, Miami delivered a sharp change of tone. Norris hooked up a superb SQ3 lap of 1m 27.869s to secure Sprint pole by 0.222s, giving McLaren its first P1 start of the 2026 campaign.

It was not a flawless lap either, which will make the result sting even more for the opposition. Norris admitted he “completely missed” Turn 16, but the rest was clean enough, quick enough and, crucially, backed by a car that finally gave him the rear grip he had been missing.

For McLaren, this was exactly the sort of response it needed after bringing upgrades to a hot, slippery Miami weekend. Norris said the new parts felt like “a step” from the first lap, and the stopwatch agreed.

Antonelli Keeps Mercedes In The Fight

Antonelli still looked rapid, but this time Mercedes did not quite have the final answer. The Italian claimed second, just 0.017s clear of Oscar Piastri, but Norris had already moved the target too far down the road.

Piastri completed a strong McLaren showing in third, confirming that Miami is not simply a Norris special. Charles Leclerc, fastest earlier in practice and briefly the man to beat in Sprint Qualifying, ended up fourth for .

Max Verstappen starts fifth for , ahead of George Russell, while Lewis Hamilton could only manage seventh after reporting downshift problems. Franco Colapinto impressed again by taking eighth, ahead of Isack Hadjar and Pierre Gasly.

Heat, Grip And A One-Lap Shootout

The final segment was always likely to be brutal. With track temperatures above 50°C and the softest Pirelli compounds in play, SQ3 became a proper one-lap shootout. Any lock-up or slide was going to be expensive.

Norris had already looked sharp in SQ1, where he went over half a second clear of the field. His SQ2 was less convincing by his own admission, but once McLaren got the car back into the right window, he delivered when it counted.

That will encourage Woking. It also suggests the Miami upgrades are more than cosmetic. McLaren looked balanced, aggressive and alive on a circuit where traction and confidence matter as much as raw grunt.

Ferrari Fast, Mercedes Beatable

Leclerc had looked dangerous throughout the earlier running, and Ferrari’s sizeable upgrade package clearly has life in it. But fourth in SQ3 was still a missed opportunity after the pace shown in practice and SQ2.

Mercedes, meanwhile, found itself under pressure for the first time this season over one lap. Russell briefly led SQ3 before Norris, Leclerc, Verstappen, Piastri and Antonelli all attacked the benchmark. By the end, the Silver Arrows were on the front row with one car but no longer looked untouchable.

That matters. Miami may only be Sprint Qualifying, but the first real sign of Mercedes’ qualifying advantage being cracked is not something the rest of the paddock will ignore.

Midfield Shuffle Adds Intrigue

Behind the leading group, Alpine quietly enjoyed one of its better sessions, getting Gasly into the top 10 and showing signs of strength at the head of the midfield. Colapinto’s eighth place was another eye-catching result, especially with both Williams cars reaching SQ2.

Audi narrowly missed the final segment, with Gabriel Bortoleto 11th and Nico Hulkenberg 12th. Haas had a more frustrating session, as Ollie Bearman and Esteban Ocon both dropped out earlier than the team would have wanted on American soil.

The SQ1 casualties were Liam Lawson, Ocon, Sergio Perez, Valtteri Bottas, Fernando Alonso and Lance Stroll. Aston Martin’s double elimination was not entirely shocking given its pace, but it still made for grim reading.

Miami Sprint Grid Set For Fireworks

Norris now has track position, confidence and a McLaren that looks properly connected underneath him. Antonelli, though, has shown all season that he does not need much invitation to attack.

With Piastri and Leclerc directly behind, Verstappen lurking in fifth, and Hamilton starting only seventh, the Sprint has all the ingredients for something messy. Miami’s surface, heat and Turn 1 braking zone rarely offer politeness.

For now, though, this was Norris’ moment. McLaren brought upgrades, Norris brought the lap, and Mercedes’ early-season qualifying grip finally loosened.

Meta title: Norris Beats Antonelli To Miami F1 Sprint Pole

Meta description: Lando Norris claimed Sprint pole for McLaren at the 2026 Miami F1 Grand Prix, beating Kimi Antonelli as McLaren’s upgrades made an immediate impact.

Sprint Quali Times 2026 Miami GP

What were the fastest sector times during Sprint quali in Miami today?

The fastest sector times during Sprint qualifying were:

• Sector 1: 29,674 sec.by Charles Leclerc with the Ferrari SF-26.
• Sector 2: 33,409 sec.by Kimi Antonelli with the Mercedes W17.
• Sector 3: 24,638 sec.by George Russell with the Mercedes W17.

1:26.482 was the pole position lap time of last year's Sprint qualifying session in 2025. This lap time was driven by Kimi Antonelli with the Mercedes W17..

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About the author

Leopold

Leopold Pleijsier founded F1-Fansite.com in 2001 and has followed Formula 1 since the early 1980s. He writes about daily F1 news, race weekends, drivers and the sport’s history.

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