Lando Norris became the first non-Mercedes driver to claim a pole position in the 2026 F1 season by securing McLaren’s first pole for the Miami GP Sprint, clocking a time of 1:27.869.
This remarkable achievement ends Mercedes’ qualifying dominance, as Kimi Antonelli qualified second—just two tenths behind Norris—while Oscar Piastri rounded out the top three. Charles Leclerc, who led practice earlier, finished fourth, and Max Verstappen placed fifth. George Russell and Lewis Hamilton followed in sixth and seventh, respectively, with Hamilton notably having set faster times in earlier sessions.
Key qualifying results:
- Lando Norris: 1:27.869 (Pole Position)
- Kimi Antonelli: +0.222 seconds
- Oscar Piastri: +0.239 seconds
- Charles Leclerc: +0.370 seconds
- Max Verstappen: +0.592 seconds
- George Russell: +0.624 seconds
- Lewis Hamilton: +0.749 seconds
- Franco Colapinto: Eighth
- Pierre Gasly: Tenth
The backdrop to this shift includes significant upgrades introduced by McLaren for this race—upgrades that appear to have paid off handsomely. In contrast, Mercedes has rolled out fewer enhancements compared to both McLaren and Ferrari, which raises questions about their ongoing competitiveness.
George Russell remarked on the surprising leap made by McLaren and Ferrari, stating, “Pretty surprising how big a jump McLaren and Ferrari made. That’s pretty damn impressive.” Meanwhile, Lando Norris expressed satisfaction with his performance and the team’s efforts, saying, “I feel very good. I’m very happy for the team.” He added that expectations were high due to the hard work invested in these upgrades.
The new qualifying format for 2026 features 22 cars on track, with six eliminated in SQ1 and SQ2—a format that adds a layer of complexity to each session. Notably absent from setting a time was Lance Stroll due to an early spin; Fernando Alonso also struggled with car issues that hindered his performance.
This weekend’s Miami GP Sprint will be closely watched—not just for its competitive edge but also as a potential turning point in the F1 season dynamics. Observers are eager to see if this trend continues or if Mercedes can recover their footing moving forward.