After a five-week hiatus, F1 finally returned to action at the Hard Rock Stadium in Miami, with the sole FP1 session - extended to 90 minutes - and Sprint Qualifying kicking things off. With Mercedes dominating the opening three races of the year, all eyes were on the likes of McLaren and Ferrari to see if the Silver Arrows could be challenged.

Up stepped world champion Lando Norris. The McLaren driver delivered Sprint Pole ahead of Mercedes' Kimi Antonelli by just over a tenth, but the championship leaders in truth looked like they may have lost a bit of their advantage on their rivals, with Ferrari's Charles Leclerc looking quick both in practice and for most of Sprint qualifying.

It was, however, Norris' teammate Oscar Piastri that rounded out the top three. While his teammate fought for Sprint Pole, Mercedes' George Russell could only finish P6 in Miami, behind Leclerc and Max Verstappen. Reflecting on his P1 finish, Norris said it was the "perfect result" for McLaren, who have been rewarded for bringing seven upgrades to Miami this weekend. Norris said: "A perfect result for us. A nice way to reward the team. 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."

Norris was summoned by the stewards following his Sprint Pole. The 26-year-old and a team representative were required to report to the stewards at 18:15 Miami time (23:15 UK).

The reason has been revealed by the FIA, whose statement read: "Alleged breach of Article 12.2.1.i of the International Sporting Code and noncompliance with Race Director's Event Note (item 1, document 20) - Driving unnecessarily slowly during Qualifying."

The world champion's Sprint Pole marks the first time no Mercedes driver will start from the best position on the grid in 2026. On whether McLaren have closed the gap to Mercedes, Norris said: "The track is different. We know this track has always been good to us but knew what we were bringing was going to be a good step and it has. It's nice our estimations have proved correct and the team deserve that. Since the first lap I've felt comfortable and was like 'I've got a bit of rear grip'."