F1 Sprint Qualifying Results: Miami Grand Prix times and positions

Oscar Piastri, Lando Norris, McLaren, China, 2026 — Photo: © IMAGO

Miami Grand Prix Sprint Qualifying

F1 Sprint Qualifying Results: Mercedes finally beaten as Lando Norris takes brilliant pole

Full results and times from qualifying for the sprint race in Miami

Originally written by Chris Deeley. This version is a translation.

Friday 1 May 2026 23:32

Lando Norris took a huge step his fight to defend the F1 drivers' championship this season, becoming the first driver to outqualify a Mercedes in 2026 with sprint pole at the Miami Grand Prix.

Norris beat Kimi Antonelli into second place, ahead of a second row of Oscar Piastri and Charles Leclerc, with the second Mercedes of George Russell all the way down in sixth behind Max Verstappen.

Lewis Hamilton, who set faster times than both Mercedes drivers in SQ1 and SQ2, had a big moment at Turn 17 to ruin a promising lap and qualify all the way down in seventh.

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The upgrade packages brought to the race by McLaren and Ferrari appear to have put them right back into the battle with the previously dominant Silver Arrows (despite a scruffy SQ3 from both Ferrari drivers), putting the championship fight right back in the cards.

As has become de rigueur, the last four cars on the grid will be the two Aston Martins and the two Cadillacs. They were joined in their early exits by Liam Lawson and Esteban Ocon.

Update: Lawson and Racing Bulls were waiting for the results of an investigation into Alex Albon potentially getting his lap time deleted for exceeding track limits, which could have allowed him into SQ2. That investigation will be continued after the session.

Miami Grand Prix Sprint Qualifying Results

Miami Grand Prix Sprint Qualifying Results
Position	Driver	Team	Time
1	Lando Norris	McLaren	1:27.869
2	Kimi Antonelli	Mercedes	+0.222s
3	Oscar Piastri	McLaren	+0.239s
4	Charles Leclerc	Ferrari	+0.370s
5	Max Verstappen	Red Bull	+0.592s
6	George Russell	Mercedes	+0.624s
7	Lewis Hamilton	Ferrari	+0.749s
8	Franco Colapinto	Alpine	+1.451s
9	Isack Hadjar	Red Bull	+1.553s
10	Pierre Gasly	Alpine	+1.605s
11	Gabriel Bortoleto	Audi	ELIMINATED IN SQ2
12	Nico Hulkenberg	Audi	ELIMINATED IN SQ2
13	Oliver Bearman	Haas	ELIMINATED IN SQ2
14	Alex Albon	Williams	ELIMINATED IN SQ2
15	Carlos Sainz	Williams	ELIMINATED IN SQ2
16	Arvid Lindblad	Racing Bulls	ELIMINATED IN SQ2
17	Liam Lawson	Racing Bulls	ELIMINATED IN SQ1
18	Esteban Ocon	Haas	ELIMINATED IN SQ1
19	Sergio Perez	Cadillac	ELIMINATED IN SQ1
20	Valtteri Bottas	Cadillac	ELIMINATED IN SQ1
21	Fernando Alonso	Aston Martin	ELIMINATED IN SQ1
22	Lance Stroll	Aston Martin	ELIMINATED IN SQ1

Changes to F1 qualifying in 2026

There are a couple of changes to the way qualifying works this year, not quite as sweeping as the new technical regulations.

Firstly we now have 22 cars on the grid, so instead of 5 cars exiting after SQ1 and SQ2, we will have 6 being eliminated. That still leaves 10 for the pole shootout in SQ3.

Unlike in grand prix qualifying, where Q3 now gets an extra minute and lasts for 13 rather than 12, sprint qualifying timings are unchanged (12 minutes for SQ1, 10 for SQ2, eight for SQ3).

Formula 1