Norris: McLaren 'did a good job' despite P4 in Miami

Lando Norris maintains that he and McLaren "did a good job" at the Miami Grand Prix, despite a drop from a Sprint Race victory to P4 on the grid for Sunday's main event. The reigning world champion suggested rivals Mercedes and Red Bull simply performed to their expected potential in qualifying after a subpar Friday, while McLaren maximized its package in the earlier sessions.

Why it matters:

Norris's defiantly positive take highlights the fine margins and psychological battles in modern F1. While a P4 grid spot is strong, the shift from dominant Sprint winner to the second row underscores McLaren's ongoing challenge to deliver consistent, session-to-session peak performance against top-tier rivals—a crucial factor in a tight championship fight.

The details:

• Session Contrast: Kimi Antonelli took a stunning pole for Mercedes, with Max Verstappen (Red Bull) and Charles Leclerc (Ferrari) also jumping ahead of Norris in qualifying. This contrasted sharply with Friday and Saturday morning, where McLaren looked like the fastest car.
• Norris's Assessment: The Briton attributed the change to evolving track conditions and rivals finding their form, not a failure by his team. "I think others just did a really bad job yesterday and just did the job they should have done today," he stated, adding that McLaren is "where we deserve to be."
• Team Performance: Teammate Oscar Piastri qualified P7, indicating the MCL60 might have been trickier to optimize in the qualifying conditions compared to the Sprint. Norris emphasized that the team's Friday performance, which was "clearly quicker" than the rest, was an exceptional achievement that deserved more credit.
• The Competition: Norris noted he wasn't surprised by Mercedes's qualifying pace, having seen their potential in the Sprint, and acknowledged Red Bull's inherent strength. This realistic appraisal suggests McLaren is clear-eyed about the competitive order.

What's next:

The focus shifts to the 57-lap Miami Grand Prix, where Norris will start from the second row. His race pace and strategy will be tested against the pole-sitting Mercedes and the ever-present Red Bull threat. This weekend has served as another data point in McLaren's 2026 campaign: capable of spectacular peaks but requiring flawless execution to convert speed into maximum points every time the lights go out.