Lando Norris acknowledged a "reality check" for McLaren after qualifying fourth for the Miami Grand Prix. Despite dominating the weekend prior, with a victory in the Sprint, McLaren's advantage evaporated when Kimi Antonelli of Mercedes secured pole, followed by Max Verstappen of Red Bull and Charles Leclerc from Ferrari.

Norris expressed that McLaren struggled more than expected during qualifying, stating, "Both cars clearly struggled a bit more than Friday...others did a better job today." He noted that Mercedes matched their speed, while Ferrari and Red Bull excelled in various sectors. His teammate Oscar Piastri faced his own challenges, qualifying seventh after grappling with minor power unit issues and inconsistent conditions.

Meanwhile, Verstappen celebrated an "incredible turnaround" for Red Bull, having not finished in the top five for three consecutive races. He felt more in control of his car, attributing the improvement to a significant performance upgrade. “To be on the front row is a bit of a surprise but we take it,” he remarked, highlighting the team's progress.

Lewis Hamilton from Mercedes echoed similar sentiments, qualifying sixth and feeling the car had improved significantly. He acknowledged Ferrari's upgrades but emphasized the need for further development to keep pace with rivals.

As the teams prepare for the race amid potential rain, the competition intensifies, with all eyes on the evolving dynamics in the championship.