Norris claims sprint pole for resurgent McLaren in Miami, Antonelli seals P2

[p]The 26-year-old Briton outpaced championship-leading Italian teenager [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/antonelli-andrea-kimi/ptGu0mT1/"]Kimi Antonelli[/a], in his Mercedes, by 0.222 seconds with McLaren teammate [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/piastri-oscar/MqKAIeUf/"]Oscar Piastri[/a] third, adrift by a further 0.239 seconds.[/p][p]The two McLarens, equipped with a successful upgrade package during F1's five-week hiatus due to the conflict in the Middle East, shone in the Florida heat to finish ahead of their main rivals.[/p][p][b]"It was great, a perfect result for us and a nice way to reward the team,"[/b] said [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/norris-lando/WSVABbVF/"]Norris[/a]. [b]"We've got some new upgrades so it's nice for me to feel some grip again. We've known that this track has always been good for us.[/b][/p][p][b]"But we knew, too, that what we were bringing would make a good step and it has and our estimations have been correct."[/b][/p][embed guid="c43eda12-3d13-4d35-8098-f9e7d6161c72" url="https://x.com/McLarenF1/status/2050324758890164555" social-type="twitter" /][p]It was the first time this year that Mercedes had been outqualified after dominating the three previous Grands Prix.[/p][p]Ferrari also impressed, but were less competitive than they had been earlier in practice with their heavily revised car.[/p][p][a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/leclerc-charles/KlCOSRub/"]Charles Leclerc[/a] was fourth for Ferrari ahead of a revitalised four-time champion [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/verstappen-max/UV3mgeXB/"]Max Verstappen[/a] in his revised Red Bull, Mercedes' [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/russell-george/xxF56RaN/"]George Russell[/a] and seven-time champion [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/hamilton-lewis/tI5Vpe1h/"]Lewis Hamilton[/a] in the second Ferrari, with the Brit losing time after making a mistake on his key lap.[/p][p][a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/colapinto-franco/GzFqySBA/"]Franco Colapinto[/a] was eighth for an improved Alpine ahead of [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/hadjar-isack/8SAk38Ui/"]Isack Hadjar[/a] in the second Red Bull and [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/gasly-pierre/nqYFMBBf/"]Pierre Gasly[/a] in the second Alpine.[/p][embed guid="624584fb-0f26-438d-b2c2-d42a18532268" url="https://x.com/F1/status/2050326425689804838" social-type="twitter" /][p]In hot conditions in the Sunshine State, [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/bottas-valtteri/bRJJqiGb/"]Valtteri Bottas[/a] led out in his Cadillac with all 22 cars joining the fray immediately at the Miami International Autodrome.[/p][p]Leclerc, who was quickest in practice earlier, was soon on top, ahead of Antonelli by 0.022. Hamilton was third, ahead of Verstappen and Gasly. Russell struggled to keep pace before Norris and Piastri grabbed the initiative.[/p][p]Norris, clearly in the mood, clocked 1:28.723 to top Piastri by four-tenths until Leclerc split the two McLarens ahead of Hamilton and the Mercedes pair, leaving Verstappen down in seventh in SQ1.[/p][p]The first action saw the expected elimination of both Aston Martins and both Cadillacs along with Haas's [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/ocon-esteban/nZKY1D4O/"]Esteban Ocon[/a] and the luckless [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/lawson-liam/nap8RjeO/"]Liam Lawson[/a] in his lemon-liveried Racing Bulls.[/p][p]SQ2 began with another fast lap from Leclerc, confirming the success of Ferrari's upgrades, but Piastri in the McLaren was only 0.036 adrift of the Monegasque's pace.[/p][p]Russell was fourth and Verstappen fifth ahead of championship leader Antonelli and world champion Norris as both Audis missed the cut to reach the top 10 along with [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/bearman-oliver/tMI3u5xo/"]Oliver Bearman[/a]'s Haas, the two Williams and [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/lindblad-arvid/bgk1rl5a/"]Arvid Lindblad[/a] in the second Racing Bulls' car.[/p][p]After the two runs on mediums, the SQ3 shootout between the top three teams made a slow start on softs, reducing the action to one fast lap each for pole.[/p][p]Russell went first but could not deliver the pace to maintain Mercedes' run of qualifying domination this year as he wound up sixth, six-tenths adrift of fastest man Norris, whose upgraded McLaren took him to pole in 1:27.869.[/p][p]Antonelli made a valiant late effort to beat him, but settled for second with Piastri third and Leclerc fourth ahead of Verstappen, Russell and Hamilton.[/p]