Lando Norris claimed Sprint pole for McLaren in Miami GP qualifying, ending Mercedes' streak of pole positions to open the season. George Russell expressed surprise at being outpaced, finishing sixth as Mercedes' dominance evaporated following a five-week gap that allowed rivals to bring impactful upgrades.

Mercedes arrived with minimal improvements, while McLaren, Ferrari, and Red Bull introduced substantial packages that transformed the competitive order. Russell admitted struggling with Miami's hotter conditions, while championship leader Kimi Antonelli split the McLarens with a strong second-place performance despite calling his session "messy."

The result has major championship implications, with Norris positioned to attack Antonelli's 47-point lead. Mercedes now faces questions about their development trajectory after Russell and Hamilton both acknowledged their car lacked the expected pace, while Red Bull's Verstappen showed improvement with a fifth-place finish that nearly halved their deficit to the front runners.