But challenging Qualifying result in difficult conditions sets tomorrow’s grid
McLaren Mastercard Formula 1 Team made further steps forward as the Woking team secured their first 1-2 of the season in the second Sprint race of the 2026 FIA Formula 1 World Championship.
Both cars made strong starts with pleasing pace throughout, leading all 19 laps of the Miami International Autodrome as Lando Norris converted his impressive Pole position into a fourth career Sprint victory with teammate Oscar Piastri gaining a position to secure maximum points for the papaya team in Saturday’s opening action.
With 15 points on the board from Saturday’s race running, attention turned to Grand Prix Qualifying in the late afternoon, which saw tricky conditions as the Florida weather provided a warm but windy environment on track, different elements to those experienced during Sprint Qualifying on Friday.
Today’s Qualifying session provided a more competitive viewing with the usual performance witnessed so far this season from Mercedes and Ferrari. However, the four leading teams now look to be challenging very closely with each other, closing the gap in performance, and the difference in grid positions coming down to execution throughout the session and ultimately in Q3.
With Lando set to start tomorrow’s Miami Grand Prix from the second row in P4 and Oscar from P7, fans should expect to see some entertaining racing in the Sunshine State. Track conditions for Sunday’s race currently look to be wet at some stage, which will require a quick adaptation by the drivers and teams.
Despite the challenges encountered during today’s Qualifying, the team maintains full confidence in the newly upgraded MCL40’s race pace, with the unlocked development path looking promising, as both drivers head into the 2026 Miami Grand Prix determined to fight forward through the field and capitalise on every opportunity available to gain positions and secure maximum points for the team.
Lando Norris #1
Started 1st
Finished 1st
Fastest lap 1m31.885s on lap 10 (1st)
Q1 1m29.183s (Soft) 4th
Q2 1m28.920s (Soft) 7th
Q3 1m28.183s (Soft) 4th
"A mixed day for us, with a good Sprint this morning. We got the maximum out of the car yesterday when others didn’t, and in clear air this morning, we were able to control the race pretty easily. This afternoon, our rivals simply delivered the performance they are capable of, and we found ourselves struggling more with the car in the warmer, windier conditions.
"However, P4 is not a bad result, it’s definitely a step forward compared to previous races, and the team still did a good job to get the result we did. We need to go away and analyse the data to fully understand where we lost ground to our competitors today.
"We'll see what the weather brings tomorrow, it's looking like it'll be a wet race, which will be interesting as we've never driven these cars in the wet. We'll do our prep this evening and make sure we're as ready as we can be for tomorrow's Grand Prix."
Oscar Piastri #81
Started 3rd
Finished 2nd
Fastest lap 1m32.079s on lap 16 (+0.194s, 4th)
Q1 1m29.920s (Soft) 16th
Q2 1m28.332s (Soft) 4th
Q3 1m28.500s (Soft) 7th
"A messier Qualifying after a really strong Sprint. We started the day off well, with a great 1-2 for the team, so thank you to them for all the work so far.
"Going into Qualifying, changing wind, hot temperatures, variable track grip, and some unexpected behaviour from the power unit meant a few things didn’t work as we anticipated, especially in Q3, so lots to review. Mercedes, Ferrari and Red Bull seem to have taken a step forward from the Sprint to Qualifying, with lap times much closer to what we were expecting.
"Looking ahead to tomorrow, the predicted weather will make things incredibly interesting, so we will learn what we can overnight and see what's possible in the race."
Andrea Stella
Team Principal
"First of all, I want to use the opportunity to remember Alex Zanardi. A very special man, driver and athlete, a real symbol and example of what it means to love life. Our thoughts are with his family and friends at this time.
"Overall, it’s been a positive weekend so far. We have introduced our first important upgrade to the car, and we’ve seen an improvement in our competitiveness. This is the result of the relentless work of the entire McLaren team in Woking and trackside. It is a promising sign, considering that we will have further upgrades coming in the next race in Montreal and also because it confirms that we are working as a team in the right direction.
"Here in Miami, we have seen the closest pecking order of the season so far, and we have seen how important the execution of every session is. We have optimised our potential yesterday in Sprint Qualifying and then again today in the Sprint Race with a fantastic 1-2 from Lando and Oscar, but it was not as smooth in this afternoon’s Qualifying session.
"With each car close to each other, it is not a coincidence that we have the closest gap from Pole since the beginning of the championship season. With four different cars in the top four positions, it’s just a matter of details in execution to gain or lose positions. We did not have the cleanest session, and others have done a better job, an opposite situation compared to what happened yesterday.
"Despite a slightly challenging Qualifying result of P4 and P7, we remain confident we can build back to be fighting for top positions tomorrow in a race that could become really eventful in the light of the current weather forecast. Once more, execution will be crucial and our energy now is totally focused on preparing ourselves in the best possible way for tomorrow."
