An early mistake on his SQ3 lap saw Lando Norris’ hopes of pole position for the sprint disappear in what the McLaren driver called “a big spiral” at the Miami Grand Prix.

Norris is running a major upgrade on his car this weekend as McLaren has introduced a number of new parts, and was quickest by a comfortable margin in SQ2, raising hopes of being fastest in the session. However, a poor first sector in SQ3 and further mistakes on the soft tire saw him end up ninth on the grid, while his SQ2 time on medium tires would have proven good enough for pole as multiple drivers struggled.

“I just pushed too hard, simple as that,” Norris said. “The car was feeling very good. Just silly to be honest. Couple of mistakes in Turn 1 and just a big spiral from there. A shame, because the team has done a good job, the upgrades were working, so I’m happy with everything, just not with one thing.

“I hope . I mean, the pace was very good, probably one of the quickest. So disappointed with today but I’ll do my best tomorrow.”

Norris’ teammate Oscar Piastri only has around half of the new parts as McLaren opted against risking new mechanical components across both cars, and after securing sixth place he similarly was surprised by the difficulties faced in SQ3.

“I think it was just a really, really tricky session for everybody,” Piastri said. “I don’t know if the track changed a little bit or if we all just thought the soft was going to be a lot better, but my lap felt pretty terrible and it was P6. I think everyone must have just had a bad run. Lando did the quickest lap of the whole qualifying on a medium in SQ2, so a bit strange but I’ll take P6.”

Piastri says he has no worries about degradation in the sprint despite high temperatures in Miami, although he is expecting plenty of action on Saturday.

“It’s going to be tough for everybody I think, but the tires seem to be surviving OK; they’re just very hot. Not too concerned, but I think it could be an exciting sprint. We’ve got a few cars out of position. I feel like nobody’s really had much consistency, so it will be exciting tomorrow.”

This year, there are once again three GPs in America, with the first edition taking place in Miami. For the first time, Miami will host a sprint weekend, meaning drivers will only have one practice session during the weekend.

Additionally, local hero Logan Sargeant is eager to make his mark during the race. Last year, the Red Bull drivers were highly dominant on this circuit known for its long straights. Who will emerge victorious this year?

All start times for the GP weekend in Miami

The GP weekend in Miami will take place from Friday, May 3rd to Sunday, May 5th, 2024. Also, the second sprint weekend of the season will be held in Miami. On Friday, the practice session and sprint qualification will take place.

On Saturday, the sprint race will start at 5:00 PM GMT, followed by the qualification later in the evening at 9:00 PM GMT. The race will begin on Sunday, May 5th at 9:00 PM GMT.

The schedule is automatically adjusted to your time zone.

During the offseason, we heard that the Miami Dolphins wanted to upgrade their wide receiver unit, mainly a third receiving threat. The Dolphins already boast one of the best duos in Tyreek Hill and Jaylen Waddle, but no one really stepped up last year when either of those guys weren’t in the game. This past weekend, the Dolphins added Malik Washington in the sixth round and Tahj Washington in the seventh round. Being late round selections, both face an uphill battle to make the roster. Malik was expected to go earlier in the draft but could have fallen down boards due to his size and will probably only operate out of the slot. Tahj is another slot option but provides special teams value. It wouldn’t be shocking to see the Dolphins add a veteran to take that third spot though.

You can check out that story here, and the rest of the day’s round-up below.

How 2 New Washingtons Shake Up Miami Dolphins’ WR Depth Chart
The Miami Dolphins bulked up their wide receiver depth chart in the NFL Draft, setting up what should be an entertaining training camp battle.

Dolphins Defense

Miami Dolphins 53-Man Roster Projection: An Eye-Opening Omission on Defense
Bring a roster to your first training camp practice, Miami Dolphins. There are a lot of new names in our first Dolphins 53-man roster projection of 2024.

Dolphins Rookies

Kelly: Dolphins banking on Austin Jackson-like development from other young players – Yahoo Sports
Austin Jackson woke up during the 2022 season, when he played a total of 84 offensive snaps because of an ankle injury. That offseason Miami decided against opting into his fifth-year option, and instantly a fire was lit.

Feedback on Dolphins undrafted offensive rookies. And what to know on No. 3 QB challenger – Yahoo Sports
What to know about Dolphins’ undrafted rookies on offense.

Phinsider News You May Have Missed

Breaking down the Dolphins defense post-draft – Miami Dolphins News 5/2/24 – The Phinsider
Welcome to the Splash Zone, the quickest way to get your day started off right. We bring you a rundown of Miami Dolphins news from the last 24 hours.

FILM: Can Patrick Paul develop into Dolphins’ long-term answer at LT? – The Phinsider
The Miami Dolphins drafted Patrick Paul in the second round of the 2024 NFL Draft, but how soon will he be expected to contribute?

Miami Dolphins depth chart 2024: Updating the roster following the NFL Draft – The Phinsider
The NFL Draft is complete, with the Miami Dolphins adding seven drafted rookies to their roster along with several reported undrafted free agent signings. What does the team’s roster look like now?

Miami Dolphins offense will be “on another level” in 2024 according to Raheem Mostert – The Phinsider
Dolphins running back Raheem Mostert is very excited about offense’s offseason improvements.