Oscar Piastri and Lando Norris Fall Short in Sprint Qualifying

In an exhilarating final sprint qualifying session for the Miami Grand Prix, Formula 1 rookie Andrea Kimi Antonelli clinched pole position with a blistering lap time of 1m26.482s, edging out Max Verstappen’s second attempt on soft tires in SQ3. However, both Piastri and Norris were unable to challenge Antonelli for the top spot, ultimately settling for second and third places respectively.

A Last-Corner Lock-Up Costs Piastri Pole Position

Despite a less-than-perfect lap, Piastri was content with his front-row start for Saturday’s short race. “I had a lock-up into the last corner, which I think was probably where pole went away,” Piastri admitted. “P2 is still a good result, we can still fight from there in the sprint tomorrow.

Norris, on the other hand, seemed slightly more upbeat about his performance and was simply happy to put together a competitive flying lap. He acknowledged that McLaren needed to find a bit more performance but felt that they were in the ballpark where they should realistically challenge for a grand prix pole on Saturday afternoon.

Close Competition as Mercedes Dominate Miami Grand Prix Qualifying

The Mercedes drivers once again demonstrated their dominance, with both cars comfortably outpacing the rest of the field. This close competition highlights the need for McLaren to find that extra performance edge if they are to challenge for pole position in future races.