Norris Secures First Non‑Mercedes Sprint Pole as Stroll Exits Miami Qualifying

*Lando Norris took pole for the Miami sprint with a 1:27.869 lap, the first non‑Mercedes pole of the 2026 season.*

The McLaren driver edged Mercedes rookie Kimi Antonelli by 0.222 seconds, breaking the early‑season dominance of the German marque. Antonelli posted a 1:28.091, while McLaren’s Oscar Piastri was third at 1:28.108.

All 22 entries started sprint qualifying, but Aston Martin’s Lance Stroll did not record a time. He locked up entering the hairpin, stopped on track and returned to the pits without completing a lap.

Mercedes still occupied the second row, with George Russell posting 1:28.493 and Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc 1:28.239 in fourth. Red Bull’s Max Verstappen qualified fifth with a 1:28.461 lap.

Fernando Alonso’s Aston Martin effort was deleted for exceeding track limits, but even a corrected time would have left him at the back of the field. He ultimately recorded a 1:41.311, the slowest of the session.

The top ten featured three different manufacturers, highlighting a competitive spread: McLaren (1st, 3rd), Mercedes (2nd, 6th), Ferrari (4th, 7th), Red Bull (5th, 9th), Alpine (8th, 10th) and others further down the order.

Stroll’s failure to set a time removes him from the sprint shootout and forces Aston Martin to start from the back of the grid for the sprint race. The incident underscores the fine line between aggressive entry and loss of momentum on a street circuit.

Norris’s pole marks a shift in the championship narrative, suggesting McLaren can challenge Mercedes and Red Bull on high‑speed circuits. The result also puts pressure on Mercedes to respond before the next race weekend.

The sprint race will start with Norris on pole, Antonelli alongside, and a packed midfield battling for points. Teams will now focus on race‑day strategy, tyre management and avoiding the hairpin pitfalls that cost Stroll.

What to watch next: how McLaren translates sprint‑qualifying speed into race results, and whether Mercedes can reclaim pole position before the season’s midpoint.