Charles Leclerc led the practice session for the Miami Grand Prix, finishing ahead of Max Verstappen. Kimi Antonelli faced engine issues, causing a disappointing session for Mercedes.
Key points
Charles Leclerc topped the Miami GP practice session
Kimi Antonelli faced engine issues
Mercedes finished fifth in the practice
Max Verstappen was second in practice
Oscar Piastri secured third place
Charles LeclercMax VerstappenKimi AntonelliFerrari
Motorsport photo
Motorsport photo
Charles Leclerc pipped Max Verstappen to top the sole practice session of the Miami Grand Prix weekend, while power unit issues struck Formula 1 championship leader Kimi Antonelli.
Ferrariâs Leclerc set a 1m29.310s late on, putting him almost three tenths above the Red Bull driver with Oscar Piastri for McLaren making it three different teams inside the top three.
It was a more frustrating session for the otherwise dominant Mercedes outfit, which has won all three grands prix this year, as it achieved a best finish of fifth with Antonelliâs session ending early.
This was the first session since Japan at the end of March due to the Middle Eastern conflict forcing the cancellations of the Bahrain and Saudi Arabian rounds scheduled for April.
So that, coupled with it being a sprint weekend and various tweaks to the 2026 regulations being debuted, Miami practice was extended to 90 minutes with each team bar Aston Martin showcasing various car upgrades.
It resulted in a busy start to the session as teams largely stuck to the hard tyre in a window which lasted for much of the session with Leclerc fastest on a 1m29.855s.
Andrea Kimi Antonelli, Mercedes
Q&A
Who topped the practice session at the Miami Grand Prix?
Charles Leclerc topped the practice session with a time of 1m29.310s.
What issues did Kimi Antonelli face during the Miami GP practice?
Kimi Antonelli experienced power unit issues that caused him to end his session early.
How did Mercedes perform in the Miami GP practice session?
Mercedes achieved a best finish of fifth in the practice session, marking a frustrating outing for the team.
Which teams were in the top three during the Miami GP practice?
The top three teams in the practice session were Ferrari, Red Bull, and McLaren.
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Andrea Kimi Antonelli, Mercedes
Andrea Kimi Antonelli, Mercedes
But Mercedes and McLaren were both within four tenths so the margins were fine in a very drama-free period; a frustrated Antonelli caused the only boiling point after he was forced into slowing down upon approaching a weaving Lance Stroll into Turn 11.
It was only with 13 minutes remaining that the true performance runs started and Verstappen bolted to the top of the leaderboard with a 1m29.776 on the soft tyres.
He dropped to second moments later though as Leclerc regained top spot with a 1m29.443s, before improving again to a 1m29.310s thanks to a tow from Lando Norris on the back straight.
Verstappen also improved late on to a 1m29.607s, leaving the four-time world champion in second and just 0.297s off top. It marked a positive end to an otherwise frustrating session for him as he complained earlier that âthe shifts are horrendous, up and downâ, while Red Bull also debuted a rear wing that looks like a more extreme version of Ferrariâs âMacarena Wingâ.
Piastri rounded out the top three for McLaren with a 1m29.759s, also set on the softs, while Leclercâs team-mate Lewis Hamilton took fourth and was 0.467s off the pace.
Antonelli completed the top five, despite his best time (1m30.079s) coming on the hard rubber as a power unit issue meant he missed the soft-tyre runs.
Max Verstappen, Red Bull Racing
Max Verstappen, Red Bull Racing
Max Verstappen, Red Bull Racing
So the Mercedes driver finishing high up is more down to his direct competition not really putting a solid lap together at the end, as team-mate George Russell claimed sixth with a 1m30.100s.
Next up was seventh-placed Norris, who initially looked set for top spot on his first soft tyre run, only to then take the run-off area at Turn 17 to avoid shunting the back of Alex Albonâs slow Williams.
Oliver Bearman (1m31.091s), Pierre Gasly (1m31.241s) and Franco Colapinto (1m31.480s) respectively completed the top 10, while 11th went to Isack Hadjar who, much like Red Bull team-mate Verstappen, reported issues with his carâs downshifting.
It was the usual suspects towards the back as Cadillac and Aston Martin took four of the bottom five positions; Aston Martin being plagued by an in-garage power outage at the start of Miami practice.
Racing Bulls rookie Arvid Lindblad was the other driver in the bottom five, as he was in and out of his garage throughout.
