MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. (AP) — Mercedes was knocked off the podium for the first time this season when Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri finished 1-2 for McLaren in Formula 1’s sprint race Saturday at the Miami Grand Prix.
Charles Leclerc was third for Ferrari in the 19-lap preview of Sunday’s race at the Miami International Autodrome around the Hard Rock Stadium.
“It was a good race, nice to be back on the top stair even if it was a sprint,” said Norris, who won from the pole. “It was hot out there, it was sweaty. I was trying to find that balance of pushing but also staying relaxed and not making mistakes.”
McLaren, like most teams, used a five-week break caused by race cancellations in the Middle East because of the war in Iran to make upgrades to its cars. The changes for the reigning world champion team clearly showed it has closed the gap on Mercedes, which has dominated so far this season.
The Formula 1 season ahead of Miami had been a clean sweep by Mercedes as George Russell and Kimi Antonelli combined to win the first three grand prix races and the sprint race in China. Russell won in Australia, while Antonelli won in China and Japan to take the lead in the world championship driver standings. Russell won the sprint race in China.
The Mercedes duo was blocked from the podium in Miami as Russell finished fourth and Antonelli was sixth after a five-second penalty for exceeding track limits dropped him behind Max Verstappen in the final finishing order.
"We know that we are a little out of sync with our upgrades compared to other teams. We were hoping we were going to be able to hold on to our advantage, and in terms of pure lap times, we were close to the pace at the front in the sprint," Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff said. "This season is going to be a pure development race and whoever brings a few tenths before their competitors will gain an advantage."
Verstappen was fifth for Red Bull and Lewis Hamilton for Ferrari was right behind him but finished seventh. The two had an early race incident in which Hamilton was ordered to give Verstappen his position back after passing him.
Cadillac, in its first event in the United States, was at the back of the field with drivers Sergio Perez and Valtteri Bottas finishing 16th and 18th in the 22-driver field.
Norris, the reigning F1 champion, won the sprint race at Miami for the second consecutive year.
