Norris shines as Ferrari stumble in dramatic Miami sprint qualifying
The Miami Grand Prix weekend burst into life with early drama as sprint qualifying delivered a mix of standout performances and costly setbacks, leaving Ferrari on the back foot while their rivals seized the initiative.
emerged as the headline act, producing a superb late lap to secure pole position for Saturday’s sprint race. The McLaren driver timed his run to perfection, edging out both Ferrari and Mercedes to deny them a place at the front of the grid.
Hot on his heels was championship leader , who continued his impressive 2026 campaign by locking in a front-row start. His consistency under pressure reinforced his growing status as a genuine title contender.
For Ferrari, however, the session exposed familiar frustrations. Despite showing promising pace earlier in the day, the Italian outfit failed to deliver when it mattered most. was unable to extract maximum performance in the निर्णायक moments, leaving the Scuderia with significant ground to make up heading into the sprint.
The team’s troubles were compounded by an FIA intervention following Friday’s sole practice session. With the Miami format allowing just one extended 90-minute FP1 before competitive action, every lap carried heightened importance. During that session, Leclerc was involved in an incident that prompted an investigation by the .
After reviewing the case, stewards confirmed a penalty, adding another layer of difficulty to Ferrari’s already challenging start. While the specifics of the infringement were not the central storyline, the ruling highlighted the razor-thin margins teams must operate within under the compressed sprint weekend format.
Held at the , the event’s structure leaves little margin for recovery. With limited practice data and rivals already dialed in, Ferrari now face a steep uphill task to reassert themselves in the competitive order.
Attention now turns to whether the Scuderia can regroup and respond, or if drivers like Norris and Antonelli will maintain their early advantage. Either way, the opening exchanges in Miami have already set the tone for a tightly contested and unpredictable race weekend.