Following the solo practice session over the weekend, the moment had finally arrived for sprint qualifying in Miami. Charles Leclerc got off to an impressive start, but the question remains: can he maintain this momentum throughout the session?
As the weekend unfolds, Max Verstappen has made a strong early impression too, concluding FP1 just 0.297 seconds behind Charles Leclerc.
Meanwhile, both Mercedes drivers find themselves in less-than-ideal 5th and 6th places, presenting a challenging start to their weekend. However, with the sprint qualifying session ahead, they still have ample opportunity to enhance their positions and make a push for improvement.
SQ1: Stroll Sets No Time
7 minutes into the session, Stroll’s Aston Martin came to a halt at Turn 18, impacting both Norris and Piastri on flying laps. He shortly managed to get his car moving again, but ultimately ended his qualifying session.
With 3 minutes to go in SQ1, Norris tops the times half a second faster than Leclerc. Following this, Piastri slotted himself into second place; these times suggest McLaren made some successful upgrades over the break.
In the final moments, Leclerc managed to regain his position from Piastri, which put him into third.
Eliminated in SQ1:
17) Liam Lawson
18) Esteban Ocon
19) Sergio Perez
20) Valtteri Bottas
21) Fernando Alonso
22) Lance Stroll
SQ2: Leclerc Tops the Times Again
Championship leader Antonelli led the drivers onto the track for the second part of qualifying, where Russell recorded a time of 1:28.903, outpacing him for the first time today. With five minutes remaining in SQ2, Leclerc cleared Russell by more than four tenths.
Lando Norris finished in seventh place after struggling in turns 14 and 15, costing him vital time and leaving him nine tenths behind Charles Leclerc’s Ferrari. This error could’ve been pivotal in determining his final position in the starting race.
Eliminated in SQ2:
11) Gabriel Bortoleto
12) Nico Hulkenberg
13) Oliver Bearman
14) Alex Albon
15) Carlos Sainz
16) Arvid Lindblad
SQ3: Lando Norris Takes Sprint Pole
With two minutes to go in the final part of qualifying Norris took provisional pole from Leclerc. Norris was soon joined by his teammate Piastri to create a 1-2, but was soon denied by Kimi Antonelli.
Leclerc followed Piastri in fourth place and Verstappen came in fifth. The rest of the top 10 are as follows:
6) Russell (+0.624s)
7) Hamilton (+0.749s)
8) Colapinto (+1.451s)
9) Hadjar (+1.553s)
10) Gasly (+1.605s)