Both Mercedes drivers suffered problems on their return to F1, but it was Charles Leclerc who set the fastest time in Miami Grand Prix practice in a heavily upgraded Ferrari.
Leclerc twice recorded fast enough lap times to beat Red Bull’s Max Verstappen by 0.297 seconds in the only practice session, but there were early signs suggesting Mercedes no longer had the outright fastest car ahead of Friday’s 9.30pm sprint qualifying, which will be broadcast live on Sky Sports F1.
Oscar Piastri was third, but McLaren teammate Lando Norris looked more competitive and would have closed in on Leclerc had it not been for traffic jams and a near miss with Williams’ Alex Albon.
Lewis Hamilton led Leclerc by 0.467 seconds and followed his Ferrari teammate through the 90-minute practice session, which followed the last F1 race weekend in Japan at the end of March.
Mercedes have won the opening three Grands Prix and are unbeaten in this year’s competitive sessions, but they have the least upgrades among the top teams.
Compared to the new floors of McLaren, Red Bull and Ferrari, the Silver Arrow only has improved front corners and new tailpipes.
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Ted Kravitz takes a closer look at all the upgrades made by McLaren, Mercedes, Red Bull and Ferrari ahead of the Miami Grand Prix
Russell was unable to run on soft tyres, due to power unit problems, and finished sixth, nearly eight tenths off the pace, behind Antonelli, who had set the best time on hard tyres.
The power unit issue will be a major concern for Mercedes after Russell previously reported that the turbo was making a “steam engine” noise.
Antonelli leads Russell by nine points in the drivers’ championship, but the two Mercedes cars may not have everything their way in Miami this weekend.
“What does Mercedes have in their pocket?” said Sky Sports F1’s Karun Chandhok.
“Was George Russell a punching bag? Was he having setup issues that he wasn’t happy with?”
“That’s the question mark that comes out of this session, because otherwise all of a sudden there will be three other teams in that battle.”
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Championship leader Kimi Antonelli expects Mercedes’ rivals to close the gap on them during the long break in the F1 season.
Did the upgrade change your priorities?
The five-week gap since the last F1 race in Japan has given teams the opportunity to work hard on development, with each team except Aston Martin bringing upgrades to Miami.
Ferrari had 11 new parts and it seems to have paid off given Leclerc’s blistering pace, which was already strong in the corners.
Ferrari’s new floor and suspension appear to have further increased downforce, while McLaren and Red Bull also arrived in Miami with virtually new cars.
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Lewis Hamilton is interested to see how regulation changes will affect the standings when F1 resumes in Miami this weekend.
McLaren had already gained a lead over Mercedes in the previous race in Japan, but Norris in particular shined in Friday’s practice in Miami and will be hoping for a second victory at the circuit where he won his first Grand Prix in 2024.
Red Bull was on average just over a second off the pace, but they may have closed the gap to give Verstappen a more balanced car to push harder.
Team principal Laurent Mequise told Sky Sports F1: “To be honest, during the session we were only looking at ourselves. After the big break there were big changes in the car so it was very important to evaluate ourselves and that was the main objective.”
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Red Bull’s Max Verstappen admits it is unusual to have such a relationship with retiring race engineer Giampiero Lambiase
“In China and Japan, regardless of where the games are played, there are a lot of things that are holding back Max and Isaac from pushing, and that’s what we’re trying to fix.
“We’ll look at the gap to the competition later, but there are certainly signs on Max’s side that he can push a little harder.”
Sky Sports F1 Miami GP Schedule
Friday, May 1st
7:25pm: F2 Qualifying
8:10pm: Team boss press conference
8:40pm: Miami GP Sprint Qualifying (session starts at 9:30pm)
Saturday, May 2nd
2:55pm: F2 Sprint
4pm: Miami GP sprint build-up
5pm: Miami GP Sprint
6:30pm: Ted’s Sprint Notebook
8pm: Miami GP qualifying build-up*
9pm: Miami GP Qualifying*
11pm: Ted’s Qualification Notes*
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The Miami Grand Prix is a unique experience. Check out some of our favorite moments from the past few years.
Sunday, May 3rd
5:25pm: F2 Feature Race
7pm: Miami GP Build-up: Grand Prix Sunday*
9pm: Miami Grand Prix*
11pm: Miami Grand Prix reaction: Checkered flag*
12am: Ted’s Notes*
*Also held at Sky Sports Main Event
F1 is celebrating a sprint weekend in Miami as the 2026 season resumes. Watch the Grand Prix live on Sky Sports F1 from 9pm on Sunday. Stream Sky Sports now – cancel anytime with no contract
