Max Verstappen denied Lando Norris a Saturday double at the Miami Grand Prix, as the McLaren driver won a chaotic sprint race but then qualified second to the defending champion. (Highlights | More Motorsport News)
Norris was returning to the scene of his maiden Formula One victory, having raced from fifth on the grid to pip Verstappen in the Sunshine State last year.
Rain showers at the Miami International Autodrome forced a delay to the start of the short-form race, with Mercedes' Kimi Antonelli starting from the front as the youngest pole-sitter for any event in F1 history.
But it was Norris who eventually claimed victory in the reduced 16-lap race, with a safety car introduced after a crash by Fernando Alonso proving advantageous for the title challenger.
Norris had been handed the lead by McLaren teammate Oscar Piastri when the Australian pitted at the end of lap 14, but the introduction of the safety car forced Piastri to run at a controlled speed and ensured Norris retained the lead even after his own stop.
Norris' victory cut Piastri's lead at the top of the drivers' championship standings to nine points, ahead of Sunday's main race.
Ferrari's Lewis Hamilton – who won the first sprint of 2025 in China – finished third after switching to slick tyres at the perfect time, just as the weather cleared up and conditions became dry.
Alex Albon was next-fastest but received a five-second penalty for running too fast behind the safety car, meaning Mercedes' George Russell was bumped up to fourth and Aston Martin's Lance Stroll to fifth.
Penalties also saw Liam Lawson and Oliver Bearman drop out of seventh and eighth, with Antonelli classified seventh following a collision with Verstappen.
Verstappen failed to score any sprint points as he received a 10-second penalty and finished 17th and last, after his Red Bull was released into the path of Antonelli's Mercedes in the pit lane.
The cars made contact, with Verstappen sustaining damage and Antonelli being forced to miss his scheduled stop.
However, Verstappen – who announced the birth of his daughter ahead of the race weekend – atoned in qualifying, beating Norris to pole position by 0.065 seconds.
Verstappen, using an upgraded floor for the first time, secured his third pole of the season after starting at the front in Japan and Saudi Arabia, winning the former race.
Norris made a costly error at Turn 17 on his final lap with his car becoming unsettled over the kerb, though he stayed two places clear of teammate Piastri.
Antonelli split the two McLarens, outqualifying fellow Mercedes driver Russell in both formats at the same grand prix for the first time as he finished 0.002 seconds back of Norris.
Russell was fifth, with Willams duo Carlos Sainz and Albon in the next two spots, while Ferrari disappointed again, with Charles Leclerc eighth and Hamilton failing to make the top-10 shoot-out, qualifying 12th.
Qualifying top 10
1. Max Verstappen (Red Bull)
2. Lando Norris (McLaren)
3. Kimi Antonelli (Mercedes)
4. Oscar Piastri (McLaren)
5. George Russell (Mercedes)
6. Carlos Sainz (Williams)
7. Alex Albon (Williams)
8. Charles Leclerc (Ferrari)
9. Esteban Ocon (Haas)
10. Yuki Tsunoda (Red Bull)
UPDATED CHAMPIONSHIP STANDINGS
Drivers'
1. Oscar Piastri (McLaren) – 106
2. Lando Norris (McLaren) – 97
3. Max Verstappen (Red Bull) – 87
Constructors'
1. McLaren – 203
2. Mercedes – 118
3. Red Bull - 92
