Lando Norris described his qualifying performance for the Miami Grand Prix Sprint race as the "perfect result" as he took pole on Friday.

The reigning Formula One champion secured both his and McLaren's first pole of the year after setting a lap time 0.222 seconds faster than that of championship leader Kimi Antonelli.

Norris' McLaren team-mate Oscar Piastri finished third in sprint qualifying, with McLaren returning to form, while Ferrari's Charles Leclerc completed the front two rows.

It has been a difficult start to the 2026 season for Norris, finishing fifth in Australia and Japan while failing to start in the Chinese Grand Prix due to a mechanical issue.

Norris has failed to finish in the top two in each of his last five races, his worst run since a six-race streak between Las Vegas 2023 and Japan 2024.

However, the British driver was glad to be able to reward his McLaren team for the work they had put in during the break.

"A perfect result for us. A nice way to reward the team," said Norris.

"We have a lot of new upgrades on the car. It's nice to feel some grip again and to reward the guys and the girls that have put a lot of work into this.

"I've always loved Miami on and off the track. It's the beginning of the weekend, so still a long way to go, but nice to tick things off by doing this."

LINING UP P1 ON THE SPRINT GRID TOMORROW #McLarenF1 | #MiamiGP  pic.twitter.com/kGDAicS06e

— McLaren Mastercard Formula 1 Team (@McLarenF1) May 1, 2026

George Russell, who won the opening race of the season in Australia and finished second in China, struggled in qualifying for the Miami sprint.

The Mercedes driver qualified in sixth, 0.624secs slower than Norris, and behind Max Verstappen in fifth, and Russell was surprised at how much the other team had improved.

"Pretty surprising how big a jump McLaren and Ferrari made. That's pretty damn impressive," said Russell.

"We knew they had probably closed the gap, but all day, they were quicker than us.

"From my side, I've been struggling. Miami is not a track I love, especially in those hotter conditions, but it's only sprint qualifying, so let's see what tomorrow brings."

Miami Grand Prix Sprint qualifying Top 10

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 (Ferrari)

8. Franco Colapinto (Alpine)

9. Isack Hadjar (Red Bull)

10. Pierre Gasly (Alpine)