Miami GP: Norris leads commanding McLaren 1-2 in Sprint event

Reigning world champion Lando Norris delivered a statement performance in Miami, converting Sprint pole into a commanding victory and leading McLaren to a dominant 1-2 finish in the 2026 season’s first non-Mercedes win.

Under the Florida sun at the Miami International Autodrome, Norris controlled the 19-lap event from lights to flag, crossing the line 3.7 seconds clear of teammate Oscar Piastri, with Charles Leclerc completing the podium for Ferrari.

After a Mercedes stranglehold over the opening phase of the season, Miami marked a clear shift in the competitive order. While Mercedes arrived with minimal upgrades, McLaren, Ferrari and Red Bull Racing all brought significant developments – and it showed.

Results to follow...

Norris had already signaled McLaren’s intent by edging out championship leader Kimi Antonelli to pole in Sprint qualifying, with Piastri close behind. That advantage carried straight into the race.

Norris made a clean getaway, while Antonelli stumbled once again off the line, immediately losing ground to Piastri and Leclerc. The Italian found himself under pressure early, as George Russell and Lewis Hamilton also surged forward.

Battles flare, but leaders escape

Antonelli attempted to recover quickly, engaging Leclerc in a tense wheel-to-wheel fight through the opening laps. The Ferrari driver, however, was unimpressed, warning over team radio: “Kimi is so bad at wheel-to-wheel, I feel like we’re going to crash.”

Despite the early skirmishes, a revised energy deployment setting aimed at reducing the season’s “yo-yo racing” actually spread the field out. Instead of sustained duels, the frontrunners broke clear.

By mid-race, Norris had built a comfortable buffer, leading Piastri by 2.7 seconds, with Leclerc a further 1.3 seconds back. Behind them, the action continued in bursts – Antonelli briefly lost fourth to Russell before reclaiming it, while Max Verstappen was forced to give a position back to Hamilton after an off-track overtake, only to pass him cleanly laps later.

Late twist reshuffles the order

Leclerc attempted to mount a late challenge on Piastri but couldn’t quite get within striking distance, a mistake at Turn 11 on the penultimate lap ending any hopes of a McLaren upset.

Norris, meanwhile, remained untroubled, sealing a controlled and confidence-boosting victory—his first of the 2026 campaign.

Antonelli initially crossed the line in fourth but was later handed a five-second penalty for repeated track limits violations, dropping him to sixth. That promoted Russell to fourth and Verstappen to fifth.

Hamilton secured seventh, while Pierre Gasly continued his strong start to the season by taking the final point for Alpine F1 Team.

The penalty also tightened the championship picture, with Antonelli’s lead over Russell reduced to just seven points—just as momentum begins to swing McLaren’s way.

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