Sprint qualifying for the 2024 Formula 1 Miami Grand Prix, round six of the season, took place at the Miami International Autodrome in the early hours of 4 May Beijing time. Red Bull’s Max Verstappen secured pole for the Sprint with a 1:27.641. Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc was second, 0.108 seconds behind, followed by Sergio Pérez in third. RB’s Daniel Ricciardo unexpectedly claimed fourth on the grid.
When told over the radio that he had taken pole, Verstappen could not resist a self-deprecating response: “That is hilarious. What happened to everyone else today? My lap was really terrible. But I will take it!” Speaking in parc fermé, he said he had never managed to get the tyres properly into their working window throughout Sprint qualifying and had not particularly enjoyed the session.
Leclerc’s second place was especially impressive. Only a few hours earlier in practice, he had spun at Turn 16. An overheated clutch prevented him from restarting, ending his session after just three laps. With almost no practice mileage, the Monegasque produced a 1:27.749 to finish close to pole, impressing the paddock.
Ricciardo was the biggest surprise of Friday in Miami. The Australian secured a place in the final segment with a bold line that almost “kissed” the wall, then posted a 1:28.044 to finish ahead of Ferrari’s Carlos Sainz. Team-mate Yuki Tsunoda experienced contrasting fortunes. He progressed from SQ1 in tenth using only one set of medium tyres and initially went 0.013 seconds faster than Ricciardo in SQ2. The car then suddenly lost grip, and his only valid timed lap was deleted for exceeding track limits at Turn 5, leaving him only 15th.
Lando Norris, driving a heavily upgraded McLaren that CEO Zak Brown described as “close to a B-spec” car, topped both SQ1 and SQ2 on medium tyres and briefly looked the favourite for pole. But a mistake at Turn 1 on his first flying lap in SQ3 left him only ninth. Team-mate Oscar Piastri had received only half of the upgrade package, yet his 1:28.161 was good enough for sixth, just 0.058 seconds behind fifth-placed Sainz.
At Aston Martin, Lance Stroll was seventh and Fernando Alonso eighth, a rare occasion when the Canadian outqualified the experienced Spaniard. Mercedes struggled, with George Russell and Lewis Hamilton both eliminated in SQ2 in 11th and 12th respectively. Alexander Albon’s lap that had put him 16th was deleted for track limits, leaving him to start at the back. Valtteri Bottas was investigated after the session for impeding Piastri on track.
Miami enjoyed clear skies, with an air temperature of 29°C and a track temperature of 47°C.
| Position | No. | Driver | Team | SQ1 | SQ2 | SQ3 | Laps |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1 | Max Verstappen | Red Bull | 1:28.194 | 1:28.001 | 1:27.641 | 12 |
| 2 | 16 | Charles Leclerc | Ferrari | 1:28.537 | 1:27.977 | 1:27.749 | 17 |
| 3 | 11 | Sergio Pérez | Red Bull | 1:28.681 | 1:27.865 | 1:27.876 | 11 |
| 4 | 3 | Daniel Ricciardo | RB | 1:28.700 | 1:28.122 | 1:28.044 | 14 |
| 5 | 55 | Carlos Sainz | Ferrari | 1:28.435 | 1:28.262 | 1:28.103 | 16 |
| 6 | 81 | Oscar Piastri | McLaren | 1:28.056 | 1:28.163 | 1:28.161 | 16 |
| 7 | 18 | Lance Stroll | Aston Martin | 1:28.807 | 1:28.323 | 1:28.375 | 15 |
| 8 | 14 | Fernando Alonso | Aston Martin | 1:28.192 | 1:28.189 | 1:28.419 | 14 |
| 9 | 4 | Lando Norris | McLaren | 1:27.939 | 1:27.597 | 1:28.472 | 12 |
| 10 | 27 | Nico Hülkenberg | Haas | 1:29.040 | 1:28.330 | 1:28.476 | 15 |
| 11 | 63 | George Russell | Mercedes | 1:28.387 | 1:28.343 | – | 12 |
| 12 | 44 | Lewis Hamilton | Mercedes | 1:28.736 | 1:28.371 | – | 12 |
| 13 | 31 | Esteban Ocon | Alpine | 1:28.873 | 1:28.379 | – | 12 |
| 14 | 20 | Kevin Magnussen | Haas | 1:28.377 | 1:28.614 | – | 12 |
| 15 | 22 | Yuki Tsunoda | RB | 1:28.687 | DNF | – | 9 |
| 16 | 10 | Pierre Gasly | Alpine | 1:29.185 | – | – | 6 |
| 17 | 24 | Zhou Guanyu | Sauber | 1:29.267 | – | – | 6 |
| 18 | 77 | Valtteri Bottas | Sauber | 1:29.360 | – | – | 7 |
| 19 | 2 | Logan Sargeant | Williams | 1:29.551 | – | – | 6 |
| 20 | 23 | Alexander Albon | Williams | 1:29.858 | – | – | 6 |
