A strange penalty and several FIA decisions have shaken up the Miami Sprint grid. Lando Norris will start on pole in a very contested context.
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The Miami Grand Prix 2026 Sprint grid has been finalized with several notable adjustments, confirming a qualifying session full of twists and turns.
Author of a particularly strong lap in SQ3, Lando Norris claimed pole position, confirming his excellent current form. The McLaren driver narrowly beat Kimi Antonelli, who will therefore start from second place on the grid.
This front row illustrates the current competitiveness of the field, with a very tight battle between the main teams on a flying lap, in always demanding track conditions in Miami.
Ferrari and McLaren lurking behind the front row
Behind the two leaders, Oscar Piastri and Charles Leclerc complete the second row, confirming the massive presence of McLaren and Ferrari in the leading group.
The battle for the top positions promises to be particularly intense, with minimal gaps observed throughout the Sprint qualifying. Both teams clearly benefited from their technical developments to get closer to the leaders, without however managing to clinch pole.
The third row will be occupied by Max Verstappen and George Russell, two regular front-runners but slightly behind this time. In a context of ongoing development between teams, their positions reflect a slight performance deficit on a fast lap, notably compared to the particularly sharp McLarens in Miami.
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A late penalty that changes the hierarchy
Further down the grid, Lewis Hamilton will have to start from seventh position after a generally frustrating session, marked by tight gaps but unfavorable for Ferrari in the final phase.
At the bottom of the table, the situation was even more complicated for Aston Martin. Both cars failed to set a time in SQ1, forcing the team to request a special permission to participate in the Sprint.
One of the notable facts of this grid concerns the situation of Alex Albon. Initially classified 14th, the driver was ultimately demoted five places after the session.
The FIA race stewards identified a track limits infringement during SQ1. The issue not having been detected in real time, Albon had already been allowed to continue in SQ2, which made the situation particularly complex to manage afterwards.
With a partially shaken hierarchy and extremely small gaps, the Miami Sprint promises to be particularly open. The grid remains provisional as long as the FIA has not officially confirmed all decisions.
In such a compact field, every starting position could prove decisive from the first corners.
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