Reigning Formula One world champion Lando Norris is off to a flying start at the Miami International Autodrome, securing pole position for Saturday's sprint race. The McLaren driver will line up alongside current championship leader Kimi Antonelli—a rising 19-year-old Mercedes star—on the front row for the 19-lap dash, set to begin at noon ET.
Norris laid down a blistering lap of 1:27.869 around the 3.363-mile, 19-turn circuit wrapped around Hard Rock Stadium during Friday's sprint qualifying session. It's a welcome boost for McLaren, who have endured a sluggish start to the season but historically shine under the Miami sun. Norris himself won the sprint race here last year, while teammate Oscar Piastri is the defending Miami Grand Prix winner.
Piastri clocked the third-fastest time on Friday, followed by Ferrari's Charles Leclerc and four-time world champion Max Verstappen—a two-time Miami race winner—in his Red Bull. The top five grid slots promise plenty of wheel-to-wheel action.
"I've always loved Miami, honestly," Norris said after the session, recalling his first career F1 victory at this very track in 2024. "This is a good result for us and still a long weekend, but a good way to start. We've known this track has always been good to us, and the team deserved that."
The championship defense has been tough so far for Norris, who sits fifth in the standings with just 25 points after three races. But a strong showing in Miami could be the spark he needs. "Perfect way for me to start a weekend," he added.
Meanwhile, the new Cadillac Formula 1 team will have work to do, starting 19th (Sergio Perez) and 20th (Valtteri Bottas) on the 22-car sprint grid in their debut season.
Looking ahead, qualifying for Sunday's main Miami Grand Prix takes place at 4 p.m. ET Saturday. Verstappen has started on pole for the last two years, with Perez claiming the top spot in 2023—also for Red Bull. Leclerc holds the distinction of winning the race's inaugural pole back in 2022.
In Formula 2 qualifying, Indian driver Kush Maini grabbed pole for Saturday's 23-lap Sprint Race (10:30 a.m.), putting his ART Grand Prix car on the front row alongside Brazilian Rafael Camara.