Lando Norris Takes Miami Sprint Pole, Ending Mercedes’ 2026 Qualifying Run

Lando Norris ended Mercedes’ 2026 qualifying run in Miami by taking pole position for the Sprint Qualifying session, setting a benchmark time of 1:27.869 at the Miami International Autodrome.

Multiple outlets framed it as McLaren’s return to the front: Sky Sports said Norris “ends Mercedes' 2026 qualifying run with McLaren's first pole of F1 season,” while Formula 1 reported Norris “will start first for the Miami Sprint” after Mercedes were beaten in qualifying for the first time in 2026.

Automoto.it

The Race described it as the first non-Mercedes pole of the year for the Miami sprint, noting Norris was “the first and only driver to dip under the 1m27s barrier.”

ANSA Latina and TUDN both put Norris at the top of the sprint grid, with TUDN stating Norris “se adjudicó la pole position” with a time of “1:27.869 minutos.”

The margins were tight across reports: TUDN said Norris beat Andrea Kimi Antonelli by “+0.222 milésimas,” while Quattroruote put Antonelli second “a 222 millesimi.”

In the same session, the grid behind Norris also carried familiar names and specific placements, including Oscar Piastri third and Charles Leclerc fourth in several accounts.

The pole came after a qualifying session in which Norris and McLaren were described as having made a “plethora of upgrades” for their 2026 challenger, with Norris crediting the feeling of grip after “lap one, literally, turn one.”

Formula 1 said Norris claimed Sprint pole “after bouncing back from what he described as a ‘woeful’ SQ2,” and it linked the improvement to “a plethora of upgrades” brought by McLaren.

BBC

Automoto similarly described a “McLaren MCL40” that appeared “completamente rivoluzionata,” and it quoted Norris saying, “Abbiamo moltissimi aggiornamenti sulla vettura ed è bellissimo sentire finalmente un po' più di grip.”

In Sky Sports’ account, Norris was the only driver to dip below the 88-second barrier on his sole flying lap, and it noted he had an error in SQ2 that left him only seventh fastest in the second stage.

Norris also spoke directly about the conditions and the difficulty of tyre temperature control, with Formula 1 quoting him that it had been “pretty tough” and that his Q2 had been “pretty woeful.”

Even with the pole, Norris acknowledged a specific mistake on his lap: Formula 1 said, “Completely missed it. ” in reference to “Turn 16 onto the back straight,” while Automoto said he had “mancato totalmente una curva dopo il rettilineo.”

After securing pole, Norris described the result as both a reward and a sign that McLaren’s work during the break had translated into grip.

“McLaren's Lando Norris became the first driver to beat a Mercedes in qualifying this year with sprint pole at the Miami Grand Prix”

BBC

Formula 1 quoted Norris saying, “It was great, perfect result for us,” and it added his explanation that it was “a nice way to reward the team” because “We've got a lot of new upgrades on the car so it's nice to feel some grip again.”

BeIN SPORTS carried the same sentiment in a shorter form, quoting Norris that it was “A perfect result for us. A nice way to reward the team,” and it also repeated his line about upgrades: “We have a lot of new upgrades on the car. It's nice to feel some grip again.”

Russell’s reaction was more cautious, with Sky Sports quoting him saying, “Pretty surprising how big a jump McLaren and Ferrari made. That's pretty damn impressive,” and it also quoted Russell’s view that “all day, they were quicker than us.”

Piastri’s comments were framed as confidence in McLaren’s pace, as Formula 1 quoted him saying, “I think the potential is there, yes,” and it recorded his expectation that “Mercedes to still be very strong” even if they “haven't looked quite as dominant this weekend so far.”

Together, the quotes show a split between Norris’s satisfaction with grip and Russell’s emphasis on how large the performance swing appeared to be.

While all outlets agreed Norris took Sprint pole at 1:27.869, they diverged in how they framed the broader session—especially around Mercedes, Red Bull, and the lower end of the order.

Sky Sports emphasized the “first pole of the year” for McLaren and described Mercedes’ qualifying as shaken by “the introduction of an array of car upgrades among the leading teams,” while also quoting Russell on the size of the jump.

Car and Driver

The Race focused on the historical angle, calling it “the first non-Mercedes 2026 pole,” and it detailed a “multi-car battle for pole” in which Piastri briefly took provisional second and Leclerc ended fourth after a “small moment” in SQ3.

Quattroruote highlighted the “Top 10” storylines, including that Verstappen would start fifth and that George Russell was “solo sesto,” while it also described Alpine’s success in reaching SQ3 with Franco Colapinto eighth and Pierre Gasly tenth.

Car and Driver, by contrast, used a more narrative tone about “Batacazo de Mercedes en Miami,” saying “George Russell? Desaparecido,” and it described Aston Martin’s problems with Fernando Alonso qualifying penúltimo and Lance Stroll closing the table cronometrada.

Even the schedule details varied by outlet, with TUDN listing “Carrera Sprint - Canal 5, sábado 2 de mayo - 10:00 horas (CT México)” and “GP de Miami - Canal 5, domingo 3 de mayo - 14:00 horas (CT México),” while Sky Sports referenced watching the Sprint live at “5pm on Saturday” and build-up from “4pm.”

The pole’s certainty was immediately complicated by a separate development: RacingNews365 reported that Norris’ sprint pole position was “at risk” because he had been “summoned to the stewards.”

“La Fórmula 1 de 2026 es surrealista en todos los sentidos”

Car and Driver

The outlet said Norris was flagged for “driving unnecessarily slowly during qualifying,” and it specified that the breach falls under “Article 12.2.1.i of the International Sporting Code.”

Crash.net

RacingNews365 also stated the timing of the hearing, saying Norris “will see the stewards at 18:15 local time,” where he would “deliver his case.”

If a penalty were applied, RacingNews365 said it would be “encouraging news for Antonelli,” who it described as entering Saturday’s race looking to extend his lead in the drivers’ standings.

That uncertainty sat alongside other session narratives about investigations into track limits, with Crash.net describing that “The FIA stewards are now going to investigate the potential track limits violation for Alex Albon in SQ1.”

For fans and broadcasters, the next steps were also clearly scheduled by TUDN, which listed “Clasificación GP Miami - Canal 5, sábado 2 de mayo - 14:00 horas (CT México)” and “GP de Miami - Canal 5, domingo 3 de mayo - 14:00 horas (CT México).”