George Russell qualifies sixth after McLaren and Ferrari make big gains

12 articles · Updated · Yahoo Sports · May 1

At Miami International Autodrome, Russell finished 0.8 seconds behind sprint pole-sitter Lando Norris, with Kimi Antonelli second, Oscar Piastri third, Charles Leclerc fourth and Max Verstappen fifth.
Russell said Mercedes was surprised by the scale of McLaren and Ferrari's progress after the April break, blaming tyre overheating and poor balance through Miami's twisty middle sector.
Ten of 11 teams brought upgrades to Miami, with McLaren, Ferrari and Red Bull appearing to benefit most; sprint qualifying sets only Saturday's grid, leaving Mercedes another chance in Grand Prix qualifying.

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