Charles Leclerc emerged as the quickest driver during the sole practice session for the Miami Grand Prix, showcasing the benefits of a heavily upgraded Ferrari package. His two fastest laps were sufficient to outpace Red Bull’s Max Verstappen by just under three‑tenths of a second, suggesting that Mercedes may no longer hold the outright speed advantage as the weekend moves toward the sprint‑qualifying showdown scheduled for 9:30 pm on Friday, broadcast live on Sky Sports F1. Leclerc’s performance was complemented by a strong showing from the McLaren camp.
Oscar Piastri secured third place on the board, while his teammate Lando Norris appeared even more competitive; Norris would likely have been within striking distance of Leclerc had he not been impeded by traffic and a near‑collision with Williams driver Alex Albon. This indicates that McLaren’s recent upgrades are beginning to translate into tangible pace on the circuit.
Lewis Hamilton, meanwhile, finished the session 0.467 seconds behind Leclerc, consistently trailing his Ferrari teammate throughout the 90‑minute practice window. Hamilton’s relative deficit mirrors the pattern observed at the previous race in Japan, where the Mercedes driver also struggled to match the front‑running cars despite the team’s early‑season dominance.
Mercedes entered the season with an impressive 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 aerodynamic updates of any front‑running constructor.
Their current package only features a revised front‑corner assembly and a new rear‑pipe, whereas rivals such as McLaren, Red Bull, and Ferrari have brought entirely new floor designs that dramatically alter downforce levels. George Russell’s lap placed him in sixth position, roughly eight‑tenths of a second off the pace, trailing Italy’s newcomer Antonio Antonelli, who set his best time on the hard compound after a power‑unit issue forced him to forgo a soft‑tyre run. The power‑unit concern is particularly worrying for Mercedes; Russell reported hearing an unusual “steam‑engine‑like” noise emanating from the turbo, a symptom that could point to a deeper reliability problem. In the drivers’ championship, Antonelli currently leads Russell by nine points, but the Miami weekend could see the Mercedes duo face additional hurdles.
Sky Sports F1 analyst Karun Chandhok speculated on the team’s situation, asking whether Mercedes might be concealing a strategic advantage or if Russell is deliberately holding back due to a set‑up issue he is unhappy with. Chandhok’s comments highlight the uncertainty surrounding Mercedes’ performance after a period of limited development. The five‑week hiatus since the Japanese Grand Prix gave all teams ample time to work on upgrades. Every constructor except Aston Martin arrived in Miami with new parts.
Ferrari led the field with eleven fresh components, a strategy that appears to have paid dividends given Leclerc’s blistering lap times. The new floor and revised suspension have reportedly increased downforce, allowing the car to maintain higher cornering speeds while still being strong on the straights.
McLaren also benefitted from extensive updates, effectively arriving in Miami with a near‑new car. Their progress was evident in the practice session, where both drivers were competitive with the front‑running Ferraris. Norris, in particular, shone in the session and will be eager to add a second victory at the circuit where he claimed his maiden Grand Prix win earlier in the 2024 season. Red Bull, while still trailing the leaders by just over a second on average, appears to have narrowed the gap.
The Austrian team’s recent aerodynamic refinements may have produced a more balanced chassis for Verstappen, allowing him to push harder and potentially close the deficit further as the weekend progresses. Ferrari team principal Laurent Mekies explained the team’s focus during the practice session: “We primarily looked at ourselves. After a long break and with all the significant changes we’ve introduced, it was crucial to assess our own performance first and foremost.” He added that in previous races in China and Japan, various issues had prevented Max Verstappen and his teammate Isaac Alonso from extracting maximum performance, and that Ferrari’s upgrades aim to eliminate those constraints. Mekies hinted that the gap to the competition would be examined later, but emphasized that the current package gives Max more to work with.
The weekend schedule is packed with supporting events. On Friday, May 1, F2 qualifying begins at 7:25 pm, followed by the Team Bosses’ press conference at 8:10 pm and the Miami GP sprint‑qualifying at 9:30 pm.
Saturday features the F2 sprint race at 2:55 pm, a build‑up show at 4:00 pm, the sprint itself at 5:00 pm, and various preview shows leading up to the main qualifying session at 9:00 pm. Sunday concludes with the F2 feature race at 5:25 pm, the Grand Prix build‑up at 7:00 pm, the race itself at 9:00 pm, and post‑race analysis throughout the evening. For fans wishing to follow the action, the entire Miami weekend will be streamed live on Sky Sports F1, with additional coverage available via the NOW platform, which offers a contract‑free, cancel‑anytime viewing experience. The event marks the return of Formula 1 for the 2026 season, featuring a sprint‑weekend format that adds extra excitement and strategic depth to the traditional race weekend.