LANDO Norris delivered a timely response in the second F1 Sprint of 2026, while Kimi Antonelli kept Mercedes on top where it mattered most in qualifying for the Miami Grand Prix.
The defending world champion converted Sprint pole into a controlled 19-lap victory, getting a clean launch off the line and dictating the pace throughout despite heavy tire management under the Miami heat.
READ: Kimi Antonelli now youngest F1 leader after Japan Grand Prix win
Norris gradually stretched the gap and crossed the line 3.7 seconds clear of McLaren teammate Oscar Piastri, with Charles Leclerc completing the podium for Ferrari after holding off pressure behind.
George Russell and Max Verstappen completed the top five after a tight midfield scrap, while Antonelli slipped to sixth following a track limits penalty that cost him time late in the race. Lewis Hamilton finished seventh and Pierre Gasly eighth to round out the points.
Norris was largely untroubled up front, with McLaren’s upgrades translating into consistent long-run pace, allowing the team to secure a clean one-two finish.
The win was his first of the season in any race format in a much-needed boost after a quiet start to his title defense.
"It was hot out there, it was sweaty. I was still pushing, trying to find that balance of pushing but also being quite relaxed and not making any mistakes. A good start to the weekend, but now I have to do it all over again," Norris said.
Antonelli, in contrast, had a compromised Sprint. He struggled to maintain track position early and the penalty further dropped him out of contention, exposing a rare dip in Mercedes’ race pace relative to McLaren.
Kimi strikes back for Mercedes
Antonelli quickly reasserted control in qualifying, taking pole with a 1:27.798 after delivering under pressure on his final Q3 run.
The current championship leader was already among the quickest through Q1 and Q2, but found extra time in the closing sector when it mattered most to secure his third straight Grand Prix pole and extend Mercedes’ streak to four.
"I was very stressed. I was just waiting for everyone to finish their laps. At the end, as I said before, it was good enough," Antonelli said.
Verstappen briefly threatened for pole after setting the pace early in Q3, but Antonelli’s last lap edged him out, with Leclerc slotting into third after a clean but slightly conservative final run.
Norris, fresh off his Sprint win, could not match that one-lap pace and settled for fourth, just ahead of teammate Russell in fifth to give Mercedes two cars inside the top five.
Hamilton placed sixth after a steady session, while Piastri could only manage seventh after losing time in the middle sector on his final attempt.
Franco Colapinto impressed with eighth for Alpine, while the other Red Bull of Isack Hadjar and Pierre Gasly completed the top 10 after advancing cleanly through the earlier segments.
Mercedes showed clear consistency across all three qualifying phases, while McLaren’s edge in race trim did not fully translate over a single lap, setting up a contrasting battle heading into Sunday’s Grand Prix on Monday, 1 a.m. Manila time.
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