Lando Norris takes Miami GP sprint pole as lightning fears loom over F1 return

The defending world champion picked up a welcome sprint pole as F1 returns from a five-week break with upgrades and a weather wildcard

With Formula One returning after its early season enforced break, the Miami Grand Prix is proving an enticing prospect given most of the teams used the time to work furiously on upgrades to their cars. Many of which are being deployed here. Intriguing enough were it not also for the updated regulations being given their debut outing and the threat of lightning storms on Sunday potentially causing a schedule change.

Five weeks have passed since the last round in Japan on 29 March after the Saudi Arabian and Bahrain GPs were cancelled because of the war in the Middle East, a break welcomed by many as an unexpected opportunity to assess their cars, which are still very much a work in progress after the rule changes this season.

Mercedes held the whip hand in the opening races, and are still unbeaten, with Kimi Antonelli leading his teammate George Russell at the top of the world championship by nine points. Their car has looked dominant thus far but only really able to exploit its advantage when in clean air at the front of the field. When in a dogfight with leaders of the chasing pack, Ferrari and McLaren, it is a far closer affair.

Mercedes have not brought a major upgrade package to Miami but Ferrari and McLaren have optimism their substantial developments can bridge the gap. And Lando Norris showed that optimism may have some foundation when he took pole position in qualifying for Saturday’s sprint race.

“This track has always been good to us but we knew that what we were bringing into it would be a good step,” said the McLaren driver.

Norris beat Antonelli into second by two-tenths, with McLaren’s Oscar Piastri in third. With Russell in sixth, it was the first time this season a Mercedes has not been on pole in either format. Charles Leclerc was in fourth, Max Verstappen fifth and Lewis Hamilton in seventh.

Red Bull have similar hopes that their upgrades in Florida will solve at least some of the issues that have plagued their car this season, with the four-time champion Verstappen currently ninth in the championship.

No one has been standing still during the break but it is Ferrari who perhaps might feel there are real gains to be made. Hamilton and Leclerc (fourth and third in the championship respectively), have repeatedly said how confident they are in the chassis of their car and that it has more to come. If they have made a real step forward it would ignite the title fight.

The drivers are also managing the rule adjustments made this round to deal with unhappiness at the way energy management has dominated the racing. On first impressions in an extended first practice session held on Friday morning there was at least no obvious discontent, albeit with the acid test of qualifying, a sprint race and the race itself still to come.

The serious business on Sunday then is to take place at 4pm but with local weather forecasters predicting an 85% chance of heavy thunderstorms for the afternoon the FIA is closely monitoring the situation with a view to potentially bringing the race start time forward.

Protocol dictates that events must be stopped if lightning strikes within an eight-mile radius. If they are to do so, the decision has to be made on Saturday. If it does rain it will also be the first time these new cars have run competitively in wet conditions, a further new test on a challenging track.