Leclerc Tops Miami Practice as Teams Shake Off Rust

Charles Leclerc set the fastest time in the sole practice session for the Miami Grand Prix, leading a Ferrari one-two with teammate Carlos Sainz as teams returned to action after a five-week break. Max Verstappen was third for Red Bull, while Mercedes showed promising pace with Lewis Hamilton and George Russell in the top six. The session was crucial for gathering data ahead of the Sprint Shootout and Grand Prix qualifying, with teams navigating the evolving track surface and testing upgrades.

Why it matters:

With only one hour of practice before the competitive sessions begin, every lap and data point is critical for setting up the car. The results provide the first real glimpse of the pecking order after the long break and indicate which teams have effectively developed their packages. Performance here directly influences strategy for the rest of the Sprint weekend.

The details:

• Ferrari's Strong Start: Leclerc's pace, particularly in the final sector, suggests Ferrari has found a good balance with their SF-26 around the Miami International Autodrome. Sainz's second place confirms the car's potential on this layout.
• Red Bull's Position: Verstappen, three-tenths off the lead, reported some balance issues but was likely running a different program. Sergio Perez finished further back, indicating the team was focused on long-run data collection.
• Mercedes Shows Promise: Lewis Hamilton's fourth-fastest time, just ahead of George Russell in sixth, is an encouraging sign for the Silver Arrows. Both drivers reported the W15 felt more predictable than at previous events.
• McLaren's Mixed Session: Oscar Piastri was a solid fifth, but Lando Norris had his best lap ruined by traffic from Alex Albon's Williams at the final corner, leaving him down in 12th.
• Alpine's Surprise Pace: Pierre Gasly managed to put his Alpine seventh fastest, a positive sign for the team which has struggled for outright single-lap speed this season.
• Antonelli's Setback: Championship leader Kimi Antonelli's session ended early with a suspected power unit issue, preventing him from setting a representative time and putting him on the back foot for the Sprint Shootout.

What's next:

The focus immediately shifts to the Sprint Shootout later today, which will set the grid for Saturday's Sprint Race. Teams have minimal time to analyze the FP1 data and make adjustments. The key questions are whether Ferrari can maintain its single-lap advantage, if Red Bull was sandbagging, and if Mercedes' promise translates into a genuine qualifying threat. All eyes will also be on how Antonelli and Mercedes recover from their technical setback.