Andrea Kimi Antonelli qualified second for the Miami sprint race on Friday, but the Mercedes driver said McLaren’s resurgence at the front of the field came as no surprise after the April break.
Lando Norris secured sprint pole position, beating Antonelli to the top spot by two-tenths of a second as McLaren introduced a significant package of upgrades following the opening three rounds — all of which Mercedes had dominated.
The Italian acknowledged a difficult session that saw him miss a crucial soft-tyre run at the end of practice due to a power unit issue, leaving him less prepared for sprint qualifying.
It was a pretty messy session. I struggled a lot with the car. The medium [tyre], I couldn’t get a good lap in. And then on the softs, all of a sudden, the car became more alive, the car felt more comfortable.
Missed Practice Run Costs Setup Time
Antonelli pointed to the lost soft-tyre running in the opening practice session as a factor in his qualifying performance, though he remained satisfied with second place given the circumstances.
It was a shame not to try the soft in FP1, there was a little bit left on the table. Despite everything, it was a decent result. The team did a great job recovering.
Mercedes arrived in Miami with three consecutive one-two finishes to open the 2026 season, but the field has closed significantly after the April break. McLaren, sharing the same power unit as Mercedes, brought major aerodynamic and chassis updates to Florida.
Upgrades Level the Field
The 19-year-old said Mercedes anticipated a tougher fight in Miami, particularly from teams that brought development packages during the break.
We were expecting this weekend to be quite a bit tougher. Also because those teams, everyone brought major upgrades, which they closed the gap or went in front of us.
He singled out McLaren’s progress with their Mercedes power unit as a key factor in the reshuffled order.
The McLarens, they have got the same PU as us and they improved the car a lot. It was expected for them to be at the front. But I think we can be in the fight. That’s what we’re going to try and do tomorrow and Sunday as well.
The sprint race takes place later today, 2 May, followed by full Grand Prix qualifying on Saturday and the main race on Sunday. Mercedes holds a commanding lead in both championships, but Miami’s tighter qualifying gap suggests the team’s early-season advantage may narrow as development ramps up.