Charles Leclerc emerged as the quickest driver in the sole practice session for the Miami Grand Prix, posting the fastest lap in a heavily upgraded Ferrari. His two leading lap times were enough to keep Red Bull’s Max Verstappen at bay, finishing 0.297 seconds slower. This early performance suggested that Mercedes might no longer hold the outright speed advantage as the field prepares for the Sprint Qualifying scheduled for 9:30 p.m. on Friday, which will be broadcast live on Sky Sports F1.
In the same session, Oscar Piastri secured third place for McLaren, while his teammate Lando Norris appeared even more competitive. Norris would likely have been right on Leclerc’s heels if not for traffic and a near‑miss with Williams driver Alex Albon, which briefly disrupted his rhythm. Lewis Hamilton trailed Leclerc by 0.467 seconds and remained behind his Ferrari teammate for the entirety of the 90‑minute practice, echoing the pattern seen at the previous race weekend in Japan at the end of March.
The British driver’s pace, while respectable, highlighted the challenges Mercedes is currently confronting. Mercedes entered the season with a flawless record, winning the first three Grands Prix and remaining unbeaten in all competitive sessions up to this point.
However, the team has introduced the fewest upgrades among the front‑running outfits. Their only modifications consist of a revised front‑corner assembly and a new rear‑exit pipe, whereas rivals such as McLaren, Red Bull, and Ferrari have brought entirely new floor designs and other aerodynamic enhancements. George Russell, the other Mercedes driver, was approximately eight‑tenths of a second slower than the leader, placing him sixth overall. He was ahead of the rookie Andrea Antonelli, who set his best time on the hard tyre compound after a power‑unit problem prevented him from completing a run on the softer compound.
The power‑unit issue is a growing concern for Mercedes, especially after Russell reported hearing an unusual “steam‑engine”‑like noise emanating from the turbocharger during the session. Antonelli currently leads Russell by nine points in the Drivers’ Championship, but the two Mercedes pilots may find their weekend in Miami more complicated than expected. Sky Sports F1 analyst Karun Chandhok questioned Mercedes’ current state, asking whether Russell might be sandbagging or dealing with an unresolved set‑up problem, and suggesting that three other teams have entered the fray for podium contention. The five‑week interval since the Japanese Grand Prix gave every team a valuable development window.
All teams except Aston Martin introduced upgrades for Miami. Ferrari led the pack with eleven new components, a clear indicator that their extensive development program is bearing fruit. The upgraded floor and revised suspension have apparently generated additional downforce, allowing Leclerc to extract blistering pace from a car that was already strong in cornering.
McLaren also arrived with significant updates, and the team’s performance against Mercedes in Japan hinted at a shifting balance of power. Norris, in particular, shone during Friday’s practice, fueling hopes of a second victory at the circuit where he claimed his maiden Grand Prix win earlier in the 2024 season. Red Bull, while still about a second off the overall pace, appears to have narrowed the gap, potentially giving Verstappen a more balanced platform from which to push harder.
Ferrari team principal Laurent Mekies told Sky Sports F1 that the session was primarily an internal benchmark: “We focused on ourselves after the long break and the major changes to the car. It was crucial to assess our own performance rather than compare directly with the competition at this stage.” He added that in the previous races in China and Japan, various factors had limited Max Verstappen and his teammate Sergio Perez, and that the team was working to eliminate those constraints.
Mekies hinted that the gap to rivals would be examined later, but emphasized that the new Ferrari package now offers Verstappen more to work with. The weekend schedule is packed with supporting events.
On Friday, May 1, the day begins with the Formula 2 qualifying session at 7:25 p.m., followed by the Team Bosses’ Press Conference at 8:10 p.m., and then the Miami GP Sprint Qualifying at 9:30 p.m. Saturday features the F2 Sprint at 2:55 p.m., a build‑up to the Sprint race at 4:00 p.m., and the main Sprint race at 5:00 p.m.
Additional analysis programs such as Ted’s Sprint Notebook and the qualifying build‑up air later in the evening, culminating in the official Grand Prix qualifying at 9:00 p.m. Sunday, May 2, hosts the F2 Feature Race at 5:25 p.m., a pre‑Grand Prix build‑up at 7:00 p.m., and finally the Miami Grand Prix itself at 9:00 p.m., with post‑race reaction and a final notebook segment rounding out the coverage. All of these events will be streamed live on Sky Sports F1, with the option to watch via the NOW platform without a long‑term contract, allowing fans to cancel at any time. The Miami Sprint weekend marks the resumption of the 2026 Formula 1 season, and the early practice results suggest a more open battle for supremacy, with Ferrari, McLaren, Red Bull, and a potentially struggling Mercedes all vying for top positions as the championship unfolds.