Liam Lawson endured a frustrating Sprint Qualifying session at the Miami Grand Prix, exiting in the opening segment as Lando Norris surged to pole position for Saturday’s Sprint.
The McLaren driver delivered when it mattered most in SQ3, producing a blistering final lap of 1:27.869 to secure top spot on the grid — the team’s first P1 start of the season. He finished comfortably clear of championship leader Kimi Antonelli, who slotted into second for Mercedes, while teammate Oscar Piastri completed a strong showing for McLaren in third.
For Lawson, the session never quite came together. Competing for Racing Bulls, the Kiwi showed flashes of pace but was ultimately shuffled out in SQ1 as the track rapidly evolved and lap times tumbled in the closing minutes.
Despite briefly climbing clear of danger, improvements from rivals pushed him down the order, leaving Lawson 17th and out before the fight for the top 10 even began. He was joined on the sidelines by Esteban Ocon, Sergio Perez, Valtteri Bottas, and the Aston Martin pairing of Fernando Alonso and Lance Stroll.
At the front, the battle for Sprint pole built through the knockout stages. Charles Leclerc set the benchmark in SQ2 for Ferrari, narrowly edging Piastri as the margins tightened.
However, several notable names fell short of advancing to the final shootout, including both Audi drivers, Gabriel Bortoleto and Nico Hulkenberg, as well as Williams drivers Alex Albon and Carlos Sainz.
With all 10 remaining drivers opting for a single decisive run in SQ3, the session became a straight one-lap battle on soft tyres in the Miami heat.
Norris rose to the occasion, putting together a clean and rapid lap that none of his rivals could match. Antonelli came closest but still finished over two tenths adrift, while Piastri ensured both McLarens featured in the top three.
Leclerc settled for fourth ahead of Max Verstappen, with George Russell and Lewis Hamilton following in sixth and seventh, respectively.
Further back, Franco Colapinto led the Alpine charge in eighth, ahead of Isack Hadjar and Pierre Gasly.
The result leaves Norris in prime position heading into the Sprint, with McLaren appearing to have taken a step forward in performance. For Lawson, however, it’s work to do from the back half of the grid as he looks to fight forward in Saturday’s short-format race.
Header Image: Alastair Staley/LAT Images via Red Bull Content Pool
