Lando Norris Claims F1 Sprint Pole in Miami with McLaren Upgrades

MIAMI, FLORIDA — May 1, 2026: Lando Norris of Great Britain and McLaren celebrates his Pirelli Sprint Pole award during Sprint Qualifying ahead of the F1 Grand Prix of Miami at Miami International Autodrome. (Photo by Rudy Carezzevoli/Getty Images)

McLaren Ends Mercedes’ Early-Season Dominance

For the first three race weekends of the 2026 Formula 1 season, every competitive session concluded with a Mercedes driver in P1. George Russell claimed both pole position and victory at the Australian Grand Prix, while Kimi Antonelli achieved the same at the Chinese Grand Prix and Japanese Grand Prix. However, after a brief hiatus, Formula 1 returned to Miami, where McLaren’s strategic upgrades proved decisive.

Norris Hails McLaren’s Upgrades and Improved Grip

Following Friday’s F1 Sprint qualifying, defending Drivers’ Champion Lando Norris topped the timing sheets, marking a significant shift in the season’s competitive balance. Norris expressed his satisfaction with the car’s performance and the team’s efforts.

“This is a perfect result for us and a nice way to reward the team. We have a lot of new upgrades on the car so it’s nice to feel some grip again.”

“I’ve always loved Miami, both on and off the track, so it’s a good result for us. We know this track has been good to us, and we knew what we were bringing might be a good step and it is. I’ve always felt good around here and although it’s only the beginning of the weekend and there’s a long way to go, but it’s nice to start with pole.”

Piastri Praises Team Efforts and McLaren’s Progress

Teammate Oscar Piastri, who qualified third, also acknowledged the upgrades’ impact in McLaren’s official media report.

“I’m happy with that. The car had good potential, which was really nice to see. We still have things to improve, but the new package is a good step, so thank you to the whole team for their efforts. Congratulations to Lando as well – we didn’t luck into today’s result, the potential is there.”

“The Ferraris looked strong throughout the day, so qualifying where we have is a really good effort. Whilst we expect the Mercedes to remain competitive, they haven’t looked as dominant so far, but there’s still a lot of track action to go. We’ll take the learnings from today and see what we can do in the Sprint, before we switch our focus to GP Qualifying.”

McLaren’s Strategic Upgrades Pay Off

Piastri emphasized the uncertainty of upgrades until track testing:

“We came into this weekend having put a lot of hard work into these upgrades, but you can never be certain what to expect until the car is on the track. I’m incredibly happy for the whole team because, from the very first lap, it felt like we had taken a step forward. It gave me the confidence I’ve been looking