Charles Leclerc emerged as the quickest driver during the sole practice session for the Miami Grand Prix, capitalising on a heavily revised Ferrari package that appears to have given the Scuderia a decisive edge. Leclerc posted two lap times that were fast enough to leave Red Bull's Max Verstappen trailing by just under three‑tenths of a second, signalling that Mercedes may no longer possess the outright fastest car as the weekend moves toward the sprint qualifying scheduled for 9:30 pm on Friday, broadcast live on Sky Sports F1. The practice format at Miami this year consists of a single 90‑minute session, meaning teams have limited time to extract data and fine‑tune their setups.
Leclerc seized the opportunity, delivering a blistering lap that put him at the top of the timing sheets. His teammate, Ferrari’s Carlos Sainz, was also in the mix, but it was Leclerc who consistently demonstrated the superior pace that the new floor and revised suspension appear to have generated.
The upgraded aerodynamic package seems to have increased downforce, especially in the high‑speed corners that define the Miami circuit, allowing the Ferrari to corner with greater stability and exit with more traction. McLaren’s Oscar Piastri claimed third place on the board, while his team‑mate Lando Norris looked even more competitive. Norris was within striking distance of Leclerc’s time, but a brief encounter with traffic and a near‑miss involving Williams driver Alex Albon prevented him from setting a clean lap. Had the track been clear, Norris could have been a genuine challenger for pole, underscoring McLaren’s rapid progress after the upgrades they introduced on their new floor.
Lewis Hamilton, who has been under pressure after a mixed start to the season, finished 0.467 seconds off Leclerc’s best time. Hamilton’s performance mirrored that of his Ferrari teammate throughout the session, suggesting that Mercedes is still struggling to match the pace of the upgraded Ferraris.
This gap is reminiscent of the difficulties the Silver Arrows faced at the Japanese Grand Prix in March, where they also fell short of the leading pace despite a strong showing in earlier races. Mercedes entered the weekend riding a three‑race winning streak and an unbeaten record in competitive sessions. However, the team has introduced the fewest upgrades of any front‑running constructor. Their only notable changes are a revised front‑corner assembly and a new rear‑exit pipe, while rivals such as McLaren, Red Bull, and Ferrari have all brought entirely new floor designs.
The limited development work may be a factor in the power‑unit issue that surfaced during the session: George Russell reported an unusual noise emanating from the turbo, describing it as sounding like a "steam engine." This anomaly, combined with a power‑unit glitch that forced his teammate to complete his run on the harder tyre compound, could prove to be Mercedes' most pressing concern heading into the sprint. George Russell ultimately recorded the sixth‑fastest time, trailing the session leader by roughly eight‑tenths of a second. He was ahead of the rookie Italian driver, Antonio Antonelli, who set his personal best on the hard tyres after the power‑unit problem curtailed his ability to test the softer compound.
Antonelli currently leads Russell by nine points in the Drivers' Championship, but the weekend’s events suggest that the two Mercedes drivers may face a tougher battle than anticipated. Sky Sports F1 analyst Karun Chandhok questioned Mercedes' strategy, asking whether the team might be holding back certain upgrades or if Russell is dealing with a setup issue that has not yet been resolved. Chandhok noted that the session has opened the door for three other teams—Ferrari, McLaren, and Red Bull—to contend for top positions, potentially reshaping the competitive landscape for the remainder of the season. The five‑week hiatus since the Japanese Grand Prix gave all teams a valuable window to develop new parts.
Every constructor except Aston Martin arrived in Miami with fresh upgrades. Ferrari led the pack with eleven new components, a substantial investment that appears to be paying dividends. The new floor and suspension upgrades have likely increased aerodynamic efficiency, granting the Scuderia additional downforce that translates into faster cornering speeds and better overall lap times.
McLaren, too, arrived with a near‑complete redesign of their floor, and the results were evident in practice. Their performance gains over Mercedes were already evident in Japan, and Norris’s strong showing in Miami suggests that the British team could be poised for a podium finish, especially at a circuit where he secured his maiden Grand Prix victory earlier in the 2024 season. Red Bull, while still trailing the leaders by just over a second on average, appears to have closed the gap slightly. The Austrian team introduced a new floor and made aerodynamic tweaks that may allow Max Verstappen to extract more performance from his car.
Team principal Laurent Mekies told Sky Sports F1 that the focus of the session was primarily internal—assessing the impact of the extensive upgrades after a long break. He emphasized that in China and Japan, various issues had prevented both Max Verstappen and his teammate Sergio Perez from pushing to the limit, and that the team is now working to eliminate those constraints.
Looking ahead, the weekend schedule is packed with action. Friday night will see the F2 qualifying session at 7:25 pm, followed by the Team Bosses' press conference at 8:10 pm, and then the sprint qualifying for the Miami GP at 9:30 pm. Saturday will host the F2 sprint, the sprint build‑up, and the sprint race itself, with additional analysis from Ted’s Sprint Notebook.
The main Grand Prix qualifying will take place later that evening, leading into the Sunday race day, which includes the F2 feature race, pre‑race build‑up, and the Grand Prix itself starting at 9 pm. All events will be streamed on Sky Sports, with the option to watch via the NOW platform without a long‑term contract.
In summary, the practice session in Miami has highlighted a shifting balance of power within Formula 1. Ferrari’s extensive upgrade package has delivered immediate results, placing Charles Leclerc at the front of the pack and challenging the long‑standing dominance of Mercedes.
McLaren and Red Bull have also shown promising signs of progress, while Mercedes must address both its limited upgrade path and the emerging power‑unit concerns if it hopes to maintain its early‑season momentum. The upcoming sprint qualifying and race will provide a crucial test of these developments, and fans can expect an exciting showdown as the 2026 season continues to unfold in the vibrant setting of Miami.