Lando Norris ended Mercedes’ qualifying dominance by securing McLaren’s first pole of the 2026 F1 season at the Miami GP on May 1, 2026. He recorded a time of 1:27.869, outperforming his competitors at the Miami International Autodrome.
Kimi Antonelli qualified second, just two tenths behind Norris. Oscar Piastri took third place, while Charles Leclerc, who had led the practice session, qualified fourth. Max Verstappen and George Russell rounded out the top six, with Lewis Hamilton in seventh despite showing faster times earlier in the weekend.
Key qualifying results:
- Lando Norris: 1:27.869 (pole)
- 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
McLaren introduced significant upgrades for this race, which contributed to their performance. George Russell acknowledged the impressive leap made by both McLaren and Ferrari, stating, “Pretty surprising how big a jump McLaren and Ferrari made. That’s pretty damn impressive.” Lando Norris expressed satisfaction with his team’s efforts, saying, “I feel very good. I’m very happy for the team.” He also noted the hard work that went into bringing these upgrades to fruition.
Mercedes lagged behind in terms of upgrades compared to McLaren and Ferrari this weekend. The team had introduced fewer enhancements for the Miami GP, impacting their overall performance in qualifying.
Lance Stroll did not set a time due to an early spin during his lap. Fernando Alonso struggled with car issues that significantly slowed his time.
The format for qualifying in F1 2026 includes a total of 22 cars, with six eliminated in both SQ1 and SQ2 sessions. This structure adds intensity to each qualifying round as teams strive to secure their positions on the grid.
