Piastri says final corner lock-up cost Miami Sprint pole

Oscar Piastri narrowly missed out on claiming pole position for Saturday’s Miami Grand Prix sprint event, attributing his slim 0.045s deficit to a critical error in the final corner of his last qualifying lap.

The McLaren driver had been one of the standout performers throughout Friday’s Sprint Qualifying session, but a lock-up into the Turn 17 braking zone during his last-gasp flyer proved costly.

The error benefitted 18-year-old Mercedes rookie Andrea Kimi Antonelli, who produced a record-breaking lap to become Formula 1’s youngest-ever polesitter.

Piastri’s late effort landed him second, with McLaren teammate Lando Norris a further half-tenth back in third.

"I had a lock-up into the last corner, which I think was probably where pole went away," the Aussie explained. "P2 is still a good result, we can still fight from there in the sprint tomorrow.

• Miami Grand Prix - Sprint qualifying results

Indeed, the championship leader remains optimistic about his chances of challenging for the win on Miami’s evolving street circuit.

"All in all, pretty happy. I think we've got a bit more pace to unlock, hopefully," Piastri added.

"I'm feeling positive still and I'll be trying to make up a spot tomorrow in the sprint before we get stuck into where the big points are."

Norris Encouraged by Pace, Eyes Saturday Pole

Team-mate Lando Norris also came close to toppling Antonelli’s time but ultimately settled for third, just a tenth shy of the teenager’s benchmark.

After a string of recent frustrations in qualifying, Norris was satisfied to put together a clean lap and is encouraged by the performance level of the McLaren.

"It felt good. I'm happy just to get a good lap in there. It was close, so not much more I could ask for," said the Briton.

"Today's performance was, I think, in a good ballpark. Obviously, not good enough, but it shows how close it is, shows how quick the Mercedes are and both of us behind.

“A bit of a job to do for the sprint race tomorrow, but close enough that we can still try and aim for a pole tomorrow."

McLaren’s one-lap form suggests they’ll be in the mix again for Saturday’s Grand Prix qualifying, while the short sprint race earlier in the day presents a clear opportunity for both drivers to apply pressure on Antonelli and potentially reclaim the top step.

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