Fraser MasefieldLando Norris confirmed that McLaren are yet again a force to be reckoned with by winning Saturday’s Miami GP Sprint race from pole position ahead of teammate Oscar Piastri and Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc.
George Russell finished in fourth place ahead of a rejuvenated Max Verstappen, championship leader Kimi Antonelli and Lewis Hamilton.
Pierre Gasly grabbed the final Sprint point by finishing in eighth place.
“Nice to be back on the top step, even if it is the sprint,” Norris is quoted via Andrew Benson on BBC Sport. “It was a good day for us, massive job to the team in bringing the upgrades.
“It feels like everyone is saying the same thing, but ours have really helped this weekend.”
The joy of meeting your idol in the Sprint parc ferme! 😎💪#F1Sprint #MiamiGP pic.twitter.com/qXsgYz1YQF
— Formula 1 (@F1) May 3, 2026
The points gained from Saturday’s Sprint means that Antonelli still leads the drivers’ championship by seven points from Mercedes teammate George Russell with Leclerc in third, 13 points behind Russell.
Hamilton is fourth in the standings on 43 points with Norris ten points behind his compatriot following his Sprint victory.
Following Saturday’s Sprint, Antonelli claimed pole position for Sunday’s feature race, ahead of Verstappen, Leclerc, Norris and Russell.
Hamilton lines up sixth on the grid ahead of Piastri, Franco Colapinto and Isack Hadjar.
“I am very happy with how qualifying went for us today,” commented Antonelli on the official Mercedes website. “It was a great recovery after a difficult Sprint and the best way to finish the day.
“I was very happy with my lap and felt like I maximised the car and my performance. I was frustrated to abort my last push lap after a lock up but thankfully the first effort was good enough for P1.”
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Craig Scarborough