Mercedes' 2026 Formula 1 domination appears to be over - at least for now - as Lando Norris became the first non-Mercedes driver to take a pole this year for the Miami sprint.

Norris had the measure of team-mate Oscar Piastri for most of Friday and was the first and only driver to dip under the 1m27s barrier with a stunning single flying lap on the soft tyre to end sprint qualifying.

Piastri did back Norris up by briefly taking a provisional second in a properly exciting, multi-car battle for pole.

Kimi Antonelli was the final driver to run in SQ3 and delivered a session-best middle sector right at the last, but he was still 0.222s short of Norris at the line - though he did at least split the McLarens with Piastri in third.

Charles Leclerc may have been many people's favourite for pole given his fastest time in practice and through the first two parts of qualifying, but a small moment on his sole SQ3 lap meant he was only fourth.

Behind Leclerc, Max Verstappen was as high as third at one stage with the fastest final sector at the time, though he dropped to fifth with later improvements - still well ahead of where Red Bull, sporting its version of the 'upside down' rear wing flap in Miami, had been in terms of competitiveness prior to the enforced April break.

George Russell was well adrift of Antonelli all of Friday and his early final lap didn't help maximise his time with track evolution ongoing. He took sixth ahead of Lewis Hamilton, who reportedly had a lock-up at Turn 17.

Franco Colapinto was eighth, not only making SQ3 but also beating team-mate Pierre Gasly. Isack Hadjar split the two Alpine drivers, taking ninth in the second Red Bull.

Bizarre Lawson denial in SQ2

Having failed to make SQ2, Liam Lawson suddenly rushed from the weighbridge and sat in his Racing Bulls car for the rest of the session seemingly waiting for permission to head out on track, but that permission never came.

Lawson and Racing Bulls were reportedly waiting for the conclusion of a potential Alex Albon track limits penalty, but Albon had already taken to the track and did complete the session - and Lawson never made it out of the pits.

The will-they-won't-they of Lawson being able to run far outweighed any of the on-track action. Gabriel Bortoleto headed Audi team-mate Nico Hulkenberg by 0.025s as they locked out the sixth row, with Ollie Bearman only setting one flying lap that put him 13th, ahead of the Williams pair of Alex Albon and Carlos Sainz.

Sainz blasted his team for being "three-steps behind" where it should've been; adding Williams should not be "in this state" after the extended 90-minute practice session.

Arvid Lindblad - the Racing Bulls driver who did take part in SQ2 - could only manage 16th and was three tenths adrift of Sainz having only attempted one fast lap.

Another Aston Martin flop

Aston Martin again anchored the order.

Lance Stroll locked up at the Turn 17 hairpin right at the start of the session and briefly got stuck in the runoff there, causing yellow flags that ruined a number of drivers' laps, including those of both Racing Bulls drivers (as well as eventual polesitter Norris).

With their second efforts, Lindblad and Lawson got out of the drop zone but later improvements loomed and it was Albon in the vastly upgraded Williams who knocked Lawson out at the last possible second.

Esteban Ocon did improve on his final lap but that only got him ahead of Sergio Perez’s Cadillac, as Ocon was still six tenths shy of his Haas team-mate Bearman.

Perez - who was a mere three tenths from SQ2 in the upgraded Cadillac and only had one SQ1 run - and Bottas will share row 10 ahead of the Aston Martin duo.

Alonso had his fastest lap chalked off for track limits - though he still would've been slowest of the cars that did set a time had it stood - and officially recorded a 1m41.311s, while Stroll did get going again but only as far as the garage before he got out of the car.