Antonelli echoes Russell surprise over McLaren surge in Miami as Norris stuns Mercedes

A five-week hiatus and some tweaks to the FIA regulations have seen Mercedes' lead wiped out, with McLaren, Ferrari and Red Bull closing the gap in impressive circumstances.

Although a fine lap from Antonelli saw him finish in second at the end of Sprint Qualifying, Norris' pace to take P1, coupled with Oscar Piastri's P3 finish, was a warning sign from McLaren to Mercedes.

"It was a pretty messy session. I struggled a lot with the car, and on the mediums, I couldn't get a good lap in," the young Italian started by saying to F1TV after Sprint Qualifying.

Mercedes were the team to beat after the first three races of the 2026 season, and Antonelli's victories in China and Japan saw the young Italian take the championship lead.

However, after the five-week break in racing due to the cancellation of the Bahrain and Saudi Arabian Grands Prix, the FIA made some tweaks to the current regulations, and as the campaign resumes in Miami, Mercedes looks to be caught on the back foot.

Several updates were brought in by McLaren, Ferrari and Red Bull, and Norris showcased McLaren's newfound pace with a fantastic Sprint Qualifying pole position, shocking Russell by the end of Friday's proceedings.

"We were expecting this weekend to be quite a bit tougher because those teams brought major upgrades," continued Antonelli, echoing his teammate's thoughts about the pace of their rivals.

"But, I think we can be in the fight. That's what we're going to try to do tomorrow, and then on Sunday as well," concluded the Italian.