Lando Norris was the fastest in the sprint qualifying before the 2026 Miami GP. There has been a significant change in the balance of power at the top in Formula 1, and we will see if it will be similar in the sprint and throughout the weekend. Sprint qualifying suggests a close competition among several teams at the front.
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Friday’s sprint qualifying was held in very stable weather conditions, but it was hot. At the start of the session, the track temperature was 54 degrees Celsius. It was the first such hot session this year. The qualifying ran without any interruptions, with only short periods of yellow flags when someone went wide onto the runoff.
High temperatures can affect the balance of power. In previous years, McLaren always gained an advantage over rivals in such conditions, while Mercedes struggled. If their cars have similar characteristics again, this largely explains the results.
Sprint qualifying results before the 2026 Miami GP
| Pos. | Driver | Team | SQ1 | SQ2 | SQ3 |
| 1. | Lando Norris | McLaren | 1:28.723 | 1:29.366 | 1:27.869 |
| 2. | Kimi Antonelli | Mercedes | 1:29.312 | 1:29.209 | 1:28.091 |
| 3. | Oscar Piastri | McLaren | 1:29.169 | 1:28.506 | 1:28.108 |
| 4. | Charles Leclerc | Ferrari | 1:28.733 | 1:28.333 | 1:28.239 |
| 5. | Max Verstappen | Red Bull | 1:29.801 | 1:29.093 | 1:28.461 |
| 6. | George Russell | Mercedes | 1:29.659 | 1:28.903 | 1:28.493 |
| 7. | Lewis Hamilton | Ferrari | 1:29.255 | 1:28.841 | 1:28.618 |
| 8. | Franco Colapinto | Alpine | 1:30.386 | 1:29.527 | 1:29.320 |
| 9. | Isack Hadjar | Red Bull | 1:30.352 | 1:29.750 | 1:29.422 |
| 10. | Pierre Gasly | Alpine | 1:29.984 | 1:29.973 | 1:29.474 |
| 11. | Gabriel Bortoleto | Audi | 1:30.561 | 1:29.994 | |
| 12. | Nico Hulkenberg | Audi | 1:30.270 | 1:30.019 | |
| 13. | Oliver Bearman | Haas | 1:30.614 | 1:30.116 | |
| 14. | Alexander Albon | Williams | 1:30.988 | 1:30.216 | |
| 15. | Carlos Sainz | Williams | 1:30.987 | 1:30.224 | |
| 16. | Arvid Lindblad | Racing Bulls | 1:30.872 | 1:30.573 | |
| 17. | Liam Lawson | Racing Bulls | 1:31.043 | ||
| 18. | Esteban Ocon | Haas | 1:31.245 | ||
| 19. | Sergio Perez | Cadillac | 1:31.255 | ||
| 20. | Valtteri Bottas | Cadillac | 1:31.826 | ||
| 21. | Fernando Alonso | Aston Martin | 1:41.311 |
Lance Stroll had a failure and did not complete any timed lap, so he is not in the standings. Fernando Alonso did not complete any clean lap, hence the very large time loss.
Discussion of sprint qualifying before the 2026 Miami GP
Two main conclusions after sprint qualifying. First, the regulatory changes regarding engines worked as planned. Drivers’ driving in qualifying was more on the limit than before in F1, with very little backing off to charge batteries. This is also thanks to the track, which in any case suited these engines, but it can preliminarily be said that these regulation modifications brought the expected effect. The second point is the change in the balance of power caused by many novelties in the cars. Most teams brought many upgrades, which to some extent influenced the balance of power.
Lando Norris was the fastest, and Oscar Piastri took third place. McLaren brought a big package of upgrades that worked. Norris always beats Piastri in qualifying in Miami, and he maintained that in this session. It is clearly visible that the team improved the car, and the drivers took advantage of it. They also better utilize the Mercedes engine – the factory team’s advantage in this area is decreasing. McLaren seems to have the most versatile package, as they are strong everywhere. We will see if they confirm this in race pace in the sprint.
Mercedes disappointed. Their honor was saved by Antonelli with a very good lap at the very end of SQ3, because earlier it looked like none of their drivers would be in the TOP3. They have the fewest upgrades at the front (their package is being prepared for Canada), and additionally, it is very hot in Miami, which their cars have not liked for several years. Mercedes is saved by the last two sectors and long straights, because in the first sector McLaren and Ferrari are clearly better than them. They need to improve the car, or else rivals will beat them. I am curious about the race pace in the sprint, as it should be better, and also whether they improved race starts during the April break. It is worth adding that Antonelli has a 3:0 record against Russell in Miami qualifying.
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Charles Leclerc had great pace in SQ1 and SQ2, but was only fourth in SQ3. Hamilton also disappointed in the final segment, as he was only seventh. Ferrari improved the car, there is great potential in it, but in qualifying pace on soft tires problems appeared again. They suffered significant time losses on the straights. Ferrari has some engine software problems during decisive laps on soft tires this year, there are problems in every qualifying session. Drivers also make minor mistakes. Leclerc should have been at least second here, but was only fourth. All hope is in the sprint start. Many indications suggest that Ferrari currently has the best car on the grid, but they lose a lot due to the engine.
It is clearly visible that Red Bull has improved a lot, at least judging by Verstappen’s results. It is worth adding that the Dutchman lost about half a second in the first sector, which mostly consists of corners and is demanding for the car. In the second and third sectors, where the long straights are located, his pace was very competitive. Red Bull still lags behind the front in terms of the car, but they have reduced their losses. I am curious how it will be in the race, because the pace on the straights is very good, they should be able to fight effectively.
Alpine drivers performed excellently, all advancing to SQ3, and Colapinto beat Gasly. This team also had many upgrades. It will be difficult for them to fight Red Bull, which after an initial setback is catching up, but being the fifth force in F1 is an excellent result for Alpine.
Among other teams, very competitive Audi is worth highlighting, their drivers lost little to advance to SQ3. Williams shows slight improvement, but they are still far from meeting expectations. Sergio Perez lost very little to advance to SQ2, showing a realistic performance in Cadillac.
Summary and predictions for the sprint
I am very curious about the sprint, because the grid order at the front is different than usual this season. The Miami track favors direct battles and overtaking. Mercedes looked best in long runs in practice, but will they be able to use it? McLaren seems to be the favorite, but Ferrari will want to make up a lot at the start and join the fight for the win. Let’s not forget Verstappen, who clearly revived in the improved Red Bull.
The internal duels in sprint qualifying and the sprints themselves can be checked at this link. It also includes a table of points scored this year only in sprints.
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