McLaren roared back to the front of the Formula 1 grid on Friday, as world champion Lando Norris claimed pole position for Saturday's sprint race at the Miami Grand Prix—ending Mercedes' early-season dominance in style.
The 26-year-old Briton, driving an upgraded McLaren, clocked a blistering lap to outpace championship leader Kimi Antonelli by 0.222 seconds. Team-mate Oscar Piastri made it a McLaren one-two-three in the session, finishing third, just 0.239 seconds further back.
After a five-week break triggered by the conflict in the Middle East, McLaren returned with a successful upgrade package that immediately paid dividends in the Florida heat. The two silver arrows looked sharp from the start, leaving their main rivals trailing.
"It was great, a perfect result for us and a nice way to reward the team," Norris said. "We've got some new upgrades so it's nice for me to feel some grip again. We've known that this track has always been good for us. But we knew, too, that what we were bringing would make a good step—and it has. Our estimations have been correct."
This marks the first time this season that Mercedes has been outqualified, after the German team swept the previous three Grands Prix. The shift in momentum couldn't have come at a better time for McLaren, who are looking to close the gap in the constructors' championship.
Ferrari also showed promise but fell short of their earlier practice pace with a heavily revised car. Charles Leclerc finished fourth, ahead of a revitalized four-time champion Max Verstappen in his updated Red Bull. Mercedes' George Russell took sixth, followed by seven-time champion Lewis Hamilton in the second Ferrari.
Franco Colapinto drove an improved Alpine to eighth, ahead of Isack Hadjar in the second Red Bull and Pierre Gasly in the second Alpine. The field was complete under the hot Miami sun, with Valtteri Bottas leading the pack out in his Cadillac at the Miami International Autodrome.
Earlier in the session, Leclerc—who topped practice—looked strong, edging Antonelli by 0.022 seconds, with Hamilton third. But as the track rubbered in, Norris and Piastri turned up the heat. Norris laid down a 1:28.723 lap that put him four-tenths clear of Piastri, before Leclerc briefly split the McLarens. But Norris held firm, setting the stage for what promises to be a thrilling sprint race on Saturday.