Sprint Starting Grid for the F1 Miami Grand Prix 2026

Lando Norris will start the Miami Grand Prix sprint from pole position after a stunning lap in Formula 1 sprint qualifying.

The McLaren driver made the most of the seven upgrades added this weekend to take top spot ahead of championship leader Kimi Antonelli, who lines up second for Mercedes.

Oscar Piastri is third on the grid in the second McLaren and ahead of Charles Leclerc for Ferrari, who lost time with an error on his best lap in SQ3.

The Mercedes streak ends 🙅

Lando Norris and McLaren put an end to Mercedes' run of form this season! 👀#F1Sprint #MiamiGP pic.twitter.com/5iAYdJWZxF
— Formula 1 (@F1) May 1, 2026

Max Verstappen and George Russell occupy the third row for Red Bull and Mercedes, with Lewis Hamilton next alongside Alpine's Franco Colapinto - perhaps the unsung hero of the session. The Argentine's teammate, Pierre Gasly, rounded out the top 10, with Red Bull's Isack Hadjar separating the two in ninth.

Audi narrowly missed out on the top 10 with both cars, with Gabriel Bortoleto ahead of Nico Hulkenberg in 11th and 12th. Oliver Bearman comes in at 13th in the lead Haas, and should have been in front of Alex Albon, though a post-session penalty has dropped the Williams driver down the order.

There was some confusion at the start of SQ2 as Racing Bulls driver Liam Lawson sat in his car ready to take to the track despite being eliminated in the first segment. But it seems he was right to be prepared, as it transpired that Albon had breached track limits during his best SQ1 laptime.

Yet that wasn't picked up by the FIA stewards until after the session and so while Albon set the 14th-best time, he has been demoted five places to 19th. That moves teammate Carlos Sainz into 14th, while Arvid Linblad goes up to 15th and Lawson to 16th.

Esteban Ocon is now 17th, ahead of Cadillac's Sergio Perez and Albon.

Serguo Perez — May 1, 2026; Miami Gardens, FL, USA; Cadillac-Ferrari driver Sergio Perez (11) during Sprint qualifying before the Crypto.com Miami Grand Prix at Miami International Autodrome. Mandatory Credit: Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images | Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images

Valtteri Bottas lines up 20th, with the two Aston Martins of Fernando Alonso and Lance Stroll bringing up the rear. Aston Martin has needed permission to race in the sprint from the FIA, having failed to complete a representative lap in SQ1 with either car, though that has been granted.

The sprint runs ahead of grand prix qualifying on Saturday, with eight points up for grabs for the winner.

Points are capped at eight in the sprint, while any driver down the order will likely use their time on track to focus on the work ahead of the grand prix, given that the parc ferme will be lifted ahead of qualifying.

F1 Miami Grand Prix - Sprint starting grid

Position	Driver / Team
1	Lando Norris / McLaren
2	Kimi Antonelli / Mercedes
3	Oscar Piastri / McLaren
4	Charles Leclerc / Ferrari
5	Max Verstappen / Red Bull
6	George Russell / Mercedes
7	Lewis Hamilton / Mercedes
8	Franco Colapinto / Alpine
9	Isack Hadjar / Red Bull
10	Pierre Gasly / Alpine
11	Gabriel Bortoleto / Audi
12	Nico Hulkenberg / Audi
13	Oliver Bearman / Haas
14	Carlos Sainz / Williams
15	Arvid Lindblad / Racing Bulls
16	Liam Lawson / Racing Bulls
17	Esteban Ocon / Haas
18	Sergio Perez / Cadillac
19	Alex Albon / Williams
20	Valtteri Bottas / Cadillac
21	Fernando Alonso / Aston Martin
22	Lance Stroll / Aston Martin

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