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George Russell admitted he was surprised after Mercedes’ run of pole positions to start the season ended when Lando Norris took pole for the Miami GP Sprint for McLaren.
Mercedes had dominated the opening rounds with pole positions and wins in the first three races, but a five-week break since the Japanese Grand Prix allowed rivals to bring upgrades that reshaped the order in Florida. McLaren, Ferrari and Red Bull each introduced significant packages, while Mercedes only fitted a couple of new parts as they wait to bring a major upgrade in Canada.
Norris outpaced the field to take pole, with championship leader Kimi Antonelli splitting the McLarens in second. Oscar Piastri was third, followed by Charles Leclerc and Max Verstappen, with Russell down in sixth behind them.
“Pretty surprising how big a jump McLaren and Ferrari made. That’s pretty damn impressive,” Russell said. “We knew they had probably closed the gap but all day they were quicker than us. From my side, I’ve been struggling. Miami is not a track I love, especially in those hotter conditions but it’s only Sprint Qualifying, so let’s see what tomorrow brings.”
Antonelli, who leads Russell in the standings after wins in China and Japan, said he struggled with the car during the session but recovered on the soft tyres to secure second. “It was a pretty messy session. I struggled a lot with the car. On the medium I couldn’t get a good lap in, then on the soft, all of a sudden, the car came alive,” he said. “I think there was a bit left on the table. Despite everything, it was a decent result and with the team we did a great job to recover.”
Norris described McLaren’s step forward as a “pleasant” surprise. “I feel very good. I’m very happy for the team. A lot of work has gone into trying to bring these upgrades… since lap one, literally, turn one, everything felt better. It felt a little bit more like last year with just having some confidence in the car.”
Piastri’s third place backed up McLaren’s strong showing and echoed the team’s form from much of last season.
Lewis Hamilton, seventh, expressed disappointment at Mercedes’ lack of pace. “We didn’t really know what to expect. I hoped we would be better but the car didn’t feel particularly great,” he said. “We have to do some work overnight to try to figure out why we are not that quick. I was hopeful coming here, positive, that we would be much higher but… not meant to be.”
Ferrari brought the largest number of new parts to Miami, including a revised floor and suspension, but Leclerc said the team struggled to get the soft tyre working. “The upgrades are fine. It’s just that everyone brought upgrades. We kind of expected that situation where Mercedes is the car to beat but McLaren have done a big step forward,” he said. “On our side, today, we particularly struggled with tyres. The medium worked very well but on the softs it wasn’t a nice feeling, so we have to look at it.”
Verstappen, who had been vocal about his frustration with this season’s regulations, showed improvement in Miami, qualifying fifth. “It feels more together. Of course, there are still things we are working on, but it’s been a more positive step for us. The last few races we were over one second behind. I would say we have almost halved that,” he said, adding that Red Bull remain weak in high-speed sections but are closing the gap.
The Sprint will run on Saturday evening, with qualifying and the Grand Prix to follow as the 2026 season resumes in Miami.