Despite the pole, Lando Norris experienced a session far from controlled in Miami, marked by doubt and a key strategic decision.
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On paper, everything seems ideal: pole position for the Miami Grand Prix sprint race. But in reality, Lando Norris’s session was much more complicated than it appears.
The McLaren driver did not hide his difficulties, especially during SQ2, where he found himself in great trouble against the competition.
“It was really complicated. My SQ2 was frankly bad. I was a second off the pace” he admitted after the session, clear about his lack of performance at that precise moment.
A decisive strategic choice in SQ3
Arriving in SQ3 without real confidence, Norris had to face a strategic dilemma: to go for one or two fast attempts. A crucial choice in a sprint format where everything depends on perfect timing. Ultimately, it was his race engineer, Will Joseph, who made the call.
“I wasn’t really sure what to do for the last run, whether to do one or two laps. Will told me: ‘Lando, we do just one lap’.”
A bold decision… but rewarding: “And it worked. The team did a great job, everything was in the right window from the start. I’m very proud of them.”
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An imperfect lap… but enough
Despite his pole, Norris feels his lap was not perfect. A mistake, especially in the last sector, could have cost him dearly.
“The lap was good, except in turn 16. I completely missed it. Impossible to negotiate it well today.”
In tricky conditions, especially due to the wind, every detail counted. And despite this imperfection, the Brit managed to make the difference at the key moment.
A comeback at the best moment
In the end, Norris beats Kimi Antonelli by two tenths and secures an ideal position on the sprint grid. A result that strongly contrasts with his doubts just minutes earlier.
“The conditions were difficult, especially with the wind. But I’m just happy to be back at this level. It had been a while.”
After a session full of uncertainties, Norris turns a complicated qualifying into a perfect opportunity. A strong signal sent to his rivals… even if everything was clearly not under control.
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