Oscar Piastri will start the Sprint for the F1 Miami GP from second on the grid, as the McLaren driver qualified just under five hundredths of a second back from rookie sensation Kimi Antonelli in a very close qualifying session.
The championship leader looked very quick throughout the whole weekend, but ultimately was pipped to pole position by the 18-year-old Mercedes driver.
Piastri reveals last corner lock-up that “probably” cost him pole
Speaking after the session, Piastri said he was “reasonably happy” with his effort to take a front row spot for the F1 Sprint at the Miami GP, but revealed he had a lock-up heading towards the final hairpin on his last run, which “probably” cost him pole, given the small margins seen at the front of the field:
“I’m reasonably happy,” said Piastri. “It wasn’t the best lap ever, I had a lock-up into the last corner, which I think was probably where pole went away.
“But P2 is still a good result, we can still fight from there tomorrow in the Sprint, so all in all, pretty happy.
“We’ve got a bit more pace to unlock, hopefully. So I’m feeling positive still, and I’ll try to make up a spot in the Sprint tomorrow, before we get stuck into where the big points are.”
Norris “happy to get a good lap” in qualifying after recent struggles
On the other side of the McLaren garage, Lando Norris was disappointed that he couldn’t secure pole position for the F1 Sprint at the Miami GP, but took comfort from the fact he was able to put in a competitive lap when it mattered most – something that hasn’t been the case in the last few weekends, as he’s struggled to get the maximum out of his MCL39 in qualifying trim:
“It was a close, close qualifying,” said Norris. “But it felt good. I’m happy just to get a good lap in there, not much more I could ask for.“
McLaren “in the ballpark” but “not good enough”
Norris emphasized that good memories from his maiden F1 win at the Miami GP last year don’t play a part on his mind this weekend, as he’s fully concentrated on extracting the most from the car, that is already in a “good ballpark” to start with, which leaves him hopeful of securing pole for the main Grand Prix:
“[I have] a lot of good memories here,” he said. “But at the same time you forget about it, it doesn’t matter, it’s in the past. We’re concentrating on this weekend and today’s performance, which I think was in a good ballpark.
“Obviously not good enough, but it shows just how close it is, shows how quick the Mercedes are, with both of us [McLarens] behind.
“So a bit of a job to do for the Sprint race tomorrow, but close enough that we can still try and aim for a pole tomorrow.”
