‘Perfect Result’: Norris Shakes F1’s Grip with McLaren Victory

Lando Norris Secures First Non-Mercedes Pole Position at Miami Grand Prix

Lando Norris has claimed the first non-Mercedes pole position of the Formula 1 season as action resumed at the Miami Grand Prix following a five-week break. The British driver secured the top spot in the sprint race, edging out championship leader Kimi Antonelli by 0.222 seconds. His McLaren teammate Oscar Piastri finished third, just 0.239 seconds behind.

Norris expressed his satisfaction with the result, stating, “Perfect result for us, nice way to reward the team.” He also highlighted the impact of the new upgrades introduced to the car, saying, “We’ve got a lot of new upgrades on the car, so nice to feel some grip again. … I’ve always loved Miami.”

McLaren made the most of the extended break, introducing a range of upgrades to their car specifically for the Miami race. The Florida circuit has been a favorable venue for the team, having won the last two grands prix held there.

The break also allowed other teams to implement new parts and improvements, with most teams on the grid bringing upgrades hoping for a performance boost. Commentator Martin Brundle described the Miami race as “more like a relaunch of the season” rather than a continuation, due to the new parts and the extended break.

New Regulations and Testing

Practice sessions on Saturday morning (AEST) provided the first opportunity for drivers to test changes made by the FIA, the sport’s governing body, during the break. The organization implemented modifications to the regulations after drivers raised concerns about the changes to the electrical battery power affecting the cars and competition.

Charles Leclerc of Ferrari qualified fourth for the sprint race, ahead of Red Bull’s Max Verstappen. Earlier, Verstappen mentioned he had “nothing new” to say regarding his future racing plans. The four-time world champion had previously suggested he might walk away from F1 after the Japanese Grand Prix in March, expressing dissatisfaction with the new regulations. He referred to the changes made for this weekend as “a tickle” of a fix.

Verstappen stated that he hasn’t considered his future because he’s been busy with other things, including racing at the Nordschleife in Germany to prepare for the famous 24-hour race later in May. “I still have time and I’m taking my time,” he said. “The rest, I mean, also for myself, I don’t know at the moment. What I said in Japan is still the same, but I also still have a lot of time.”

Team Changes and Future Uncertainty

Miami marks the first race in five weeks due to the cancellation of two Middle East events because of the war in Iran. During this period, Verstappen’s race engineer Gianpiero Lambiase was announced to be leaving for McLaren by 2028 at the latest. The duo has been together since 2016.

Verstappen initially claimed he would not want to work with another race engineer, but has since backtracked on that statement. “Otherwise I don’t get to drive, I will have to work with someone else,” he added. “But I think times change and the offer that he got, I would be an idiot to try and keep him. It’s not only about me all the time, it’s also about his career and moving forward. So for me, it was a no-brainer to be honest. But the future, that’s what we’re looking at now with a different race engineer. I’m sure we’ll find a solution for that as well.”

Sprint Qualifying Full Results