Charles Leclerc was fastest in Miami Grand Prix practice in a significantly upgraded Ferrari as both Mercedes drivers have had problems on their return to Formula 1.
Leclerc set two lap times fast enough to take first place in the only practice session to beat Red Bull’s Max Verstappen by 0.297 seconds, and early indications suggest Mercedes will no longer have the fastest car entering Sprint Qualifying at 9.30pm on Friday. Sky Sports F1.
Oscar Piastri was third, but his McLaren team-mate Lando Norris looked more competitive and was close to Leclerc without any traffic, almost missing out on Williams’ Alex Albon.
Lewis Hamilton followed his Ferrari team-mate by 0.467 seconds ahead of Leclerc throughout the 90-minute practice session following the final F1 race weekend in Japan at the end of March.
Mercedes has won the opening three grands prix and remains unbeaten in this year’s competitive sessions, but has brought with it the fewest upgrades among the top teams.
The Silver Arrows only have revised front corners and new exhaust pipes compared to the new bottoms of the McLarens, Red Bulls and Ferraris.
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Ted Kravitz takes an in-depth look at all the upgrades from McLaren, Mercedes, Red Bull and Ferrari ahead of the Miami GP.
Russell finished sixth, almost eight-tenths of a pace behind Antonelli, who had set the best time on hard tyres, as a powertrain issue prevented him from running on soft tyres.
That powertrain issue will be a top concern for Mercedes after Russell previously reported strange noises from the turbo that sounded like a “steam engine.”
Antonelli leads Russell by nine points in the Drivers’ Championship, but the two Mercedes may not have it all their way this weekend in Miami.
“What does Mercedes have in its pockets?” said Sky Sports F1This is Karun Chandhok.
“Was George Russell stacking sandbags? Was there a set-up issue he didn’t like?
“That’s the question mark coming out of this session, because otherwise you suddenly have three more teams in that fight.”
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Championship leader Kimi Antonelli expects Mercedes’ rivals to close the gap on them during the long break in the Formula 1 season.
Did the upgrade change the pecking order?
The five-week gap since the last F1 race in Japan has given teams the opportunity to work hard on development, with all but Aston Martin bringing upgrades to Miami.
Ferrari has the most new parts, with 11, and it appears to have paid off given Leclerc’s blistering speed in a car that is already a strong performer in the corners.
Ferrari’s new floor and suspension appear to have given them significantly more downforce, while McLaren and Red Bull also came to Miami with effective new cars.
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Lewis Hamilton is wondering how rule changes will affect his standings as Formula 1 returns to Miami this weekend.
McLaren has already taken advantage over Mercedes in the last race in Japan, but Norris in particular shone in practice in Miami on Friday and will be hoping for a second win at the track where he claimed his first Grand Prix win in 2024.
Red Bull was on average just over a second off the pace, but may have reduced this deficit to give Verstappen a more balanced car he could push harder.
said team leader Laurent Mekies. Sky Sports F1: “Honestly, during that session we were only looking at ourselves. After the big break and with all the big changes in the car, it was very important for us to measure ourselves against them. In fact, that was the main purpose.
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Red Bull’s Max Verstappen admits he rarely shares the same relationship with departing race engineer Gianpiero Lambiase.
“In China and Japan, there were a lot of things that stopped Max and Isaac from pushing forward, regardless of where the competition was, and that’s what we’re trying to fix.
“We’ll look at the gap to the competition in a moment, but there are certainly signs on Max’s part that he has something he can push a little further.”
Sky Sports F1 Miami GP Schedule
Friday May 1st
7.25pm: F2 qualifying
8:10 PM: Team leader press conference
8:40 p.m.: Miami GP sprint qualifying (session starts at 9:30 p.m.)
Saturday May 2nd
2:55 PM: F2 Sprint
4pm: Miami GP sprint build-up
5 p.m.: Miami GP Sprint
6:30 PM: Ted’s sprint notes
8pm: Preparing for Miami GP Qualifying*
9pm: Miami GP Qualifying*
11 PM: Ted’s Qualifying Note*
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The Miami Grand Prix is a unique experience. Take a look at some of our favorite moments from the past few years!
Sunday, May 3
5:25 PM: F2 Feature Race
7pm: Build-up to the Miami GP: Grand Prix Sunday*
9 p.m.: Miami Grand Prix*
11pm: Miami GP reaction: checkered flag*
12:00 AM: Ted’s Note*
*Applies to Sky Sports main event as well
Formula 1 is in Miami for a sprint weekend as the 2026 season resumes. Catch the Grand Prix live on Sky Sports F1 on Sunday at 9pm. Stream Sky Sports NOW – No Commitment, Cancel Anytime
