Norris reconnects with McLaren magic - car ‘felt better from lap one’

Reigning world champion Lando Norris has finally found a familiar feeling again – and it’s come at exactly the right time.

On Friday at the Miami International Autodrome, the McLaren driver delivered a statement performance, storming to pole in the afternoon’s Sprint qualifying session.

But beyond the headline result, the real story was unfolding inside the cockpit: a renewed sense of trust in his upgraded MCL40.

A car that ‘felt better’ from the first corner

After a difficult start to his 2026 title defence, Norris had been searching for the kind of connection with his car that powered him to championship glory last year. In Miami, that connection suddenly clicked back into place.

"A lot of work has gone into trying to bring these upgrades, and it's always just difficult to anticipate or to know what to expect coming into a new weekend," Norris said.

"But since lap one, literally, turn one, everything felt better. I felt a little bit more like last year, with just having some confidence in the car.

"I feel like I've exploited that through the whole day today, so it's a nice start to the weekend. Probably better than we were expecting, honestly.

"We were expecting better, of course, but we didn't know, in terms of quantity, how it was going to be. So, a little surprise, but a pleasant one for sure."

That confidence translated directly onto the timing screens. Norris not only grabbed Sprint pole, but did so by decisively knocking Mercedes off the top spot – beating championship leader Kimi Antonelli and leading a strong showing for McLaren, with teammate Oscar Piastri also featuring near the front.

Momentum found – but questions remain

While the one-lap pace was undeniable, Norris was quick to keep expectations grounded. The weekend is far from over, and the bigger picture – especially race pace – remains less clear.

"It is just a sprint qualifying, so nothing to be overly proud of in some ways, but still a long weekend ahead of us,” Norris acknowledged.

"It's hard to know what everyone does in long runs and everything. Many things can happen. But we started as well as we could have asked for. So, plenty of good things.

"If we're this quick in qualifying, normally you'd expect to continue that into long runs, but there are plenty of unknowns yet.

“It's still a new car for us. We're still learning things on the go. We're still trying to exploit things. And I'm sure we'll make some improvements into qualifying."

• Miami Grand Prix - Sprint qualifying results

That caution is not without reason. Mercedes showed strong long-run pace in practice, while Ferrari also remains firmly in the fight – setting the stage for a weekend that could still swing in multiple directions.

For now, though, Norris has something he’s been chasing since the season began: belief in his machine. And if Miami is any indication, that belief could be the spark that reignites his title defence.

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