Jenson Button: Norris Beats Antonelli by Two-Tenths for Miami Sprint Pole
jenson button was part of a Miami Grand Prix Friday that delivered a clear front-running order: Lando Norris took sprint pole and beat Kimi Antonelli by two-tenths. Oscar Piastri lined up third, with Mercedes forced to settle for a result that ended its early-season run on pole.
Norris’ lap put McLaren in control of the Saturday sprint grid at a weekend shaped by two pressures at once — new upgrades arriving in Florida and a weather forecast that could still alter the schedule. The race weekend came after a five-week break, and this was the first time this season a Mercedes had not been on pole in either format.
Norris edges Antonelli
Norris delivered the sharpest lap when it counted. Antonelli took second, two-tenths behind, while Piastri backed up McLaren’s pace by taking third in sprint qualifying.
Charles Leclerc followed in fourth, Max Verstappen was fifth and George Russell came sixth. Lewis Hamilton took seventh, leaving Mercedes short of the front row after leading the opening races and looking strongest in clean air.
Mercedes loses its pole run
The result broke a run that had seen Mercedes unbeaten on pole before the Miami weekend. That made Friday more than a single-session win for McLaren; it showed the field has tightened after teams brought substantial developments to Miami.
Ferrari arrived with upgrades, McLaren did too, and Red Bull also hoped its Florida changes would solve some of the issues that had hurt its season. Russell’s sixth-place result and Verstappen’s fifth showed how close the top group remained even as Norris set the pace.
Miami weather pressure
The other problem hanging over the weekend is the forecast. Local weather forecasters predicted an 85% chance of heavy thunderstorms for Sunday afternoon, when the Grand Prix is scheduled for 4pm.
The FIA is watching the situation closely and could move the race start forward, but any change has to be made on Saturday. That urgency comes with a hard rule in place: events must be stopped if lightning strikes within an eight-mile radius, a detail that could force the race plan to shift before Sunday arrives.
“This track has always been good to us but we knew that what we were bringing into it would be a good step,” Norris said after taking sprint pole at Miami.
