Mercedes drivers excelled in long runs during the Miami GP, with Kimi Antonelli leading by a narrow margin. The competitive order remains stable despite recent regulatory changes.
Key points
Mercedes drivers delivered the strongest long runs in Miami GP
Kimi Antonelli was the fastest on heavy fuel by 0.03 seconds
Practice sessions were extended to 90 minutes for data collection
Competitive order remains stable despite regulatory changes
Fuel load has a minor impact on performance during long runs
Mercedes
Motorsport photo
Motorsport photo
Representative long runs are rare on a Formula 1 sprint weekend, but since practice in Miami was extended to 90 minutes with a view to the 2026 regulation changes, this time a substantial body of data was gathered – including plenty of running with heavy fuel loads.
This allows for significantly more precise conclusions about the true competitive order for the sprint as well as Sunday’s race. As teams typically run with full tanks during these stints, fuel load plays only a minor role as a differentiating factor. Despite the five-week break and the regulatory adjustments, the fundamental pecking order appears largely unchanged.
The strongest long runs were delivered on average by the two Mercedes drivers. When adjusting the data for differing stint lengths and tyre compounds, championship leader Kimi Antonelli was the fastest driver on heavy fuel – albeit by a razor-thin margin of 0.03 seconds per lap ahead of team-mate George Russell.
This once again puts Mercedes clearly ahead of the rest of the field. Charles Leclerc in the Ferrari was the closest challenger, with an average deficit of 0.33 seconds per lap. His team-mate Lewis Hamilton placed fourth, trailing by 0.6 seconds per lap.
Read Also:
Q&A
Who was the fastest driver during the Miami GP long runs?
Kimi Antonelli was the fastest driver during the Miami GP long runs, finishing just 0.03 seconds per lap ahead of his teammate George Russell.
How did the Miami GP long runs impact the competitive order in Formula 1?
The long runs provided substantial data that confirmed the competitive order remains largely unchanged despite the recent regulatory adjustments.
What changes were made to the Miami GP practice sessions for 2026?
The practice sessions were extended to 90 minutes to gather more data ahead of the 2026 regulation changes.
What role does fuel load play in the Miami GP long runs?
Fuel load plays only a minor role as a differentiating factor in the long runs, as teams typically run with full tanks during these stints.
Related Articles
Soccer·Recap
Leeds as good as safe? Thumping Burnley win opens nine-point gap to drop
Leeds United's 3-1 win over Burnley secures a nine-point gap from relegation.
Sky Sports··1 min read
Sports
Bottom side Livingston hit back to hold Aberdeen
Livingston holds Aberdeen to a 2-2 draw, with Muirhead equalizing late in the match.
Sky Sports··1 min read
F1·Preview
How To Watch The 2026 Formula 1 Miami Grand Prix This Weekend
Don't miss the 2026 Formula 1 Miami Grand Prix this weekend!
Yahoo Sports··1 min read
NFL·Feature
Dani Dennis-Sutton to be ‘sponge’ around Packers teammate Micah Parsons
Dani Dennis-Sutton is set to learn from Micah Parsons in the Packers.
Yahoo Sports··1 min read
Sports
Dani Dennis-Sutton to be ‘sponge’ around Packers teammate Micah Parsons
Yahoo Sports·
Sports
Benavidez vs. Zurdo weigh-in results: David Benavidez set for cruiserweight title jump
Although the overall hierarchy seems largely unchanged, the chasing teams may have moved closer to Mercedes. In the first three races of the season, Ferrari trailed by an average of 0.53 seconds per lap, suggesting a potential gain of around two tenths.
A look at the sector times shows that Ferrari continues to have clear strengths in the corners. The car performs well both in the first sector with its fast and medium-speed sections and in the second sector with very slow corners. However, time is mainly lost in the final sector on the straights.
Charles Leclerc, Ferrari
Charles Leclerc, Ferrari
Charles Leclerc, Ferrari
McLaren currently appears to be the third force in Miami in terms of race pace, even if their single-lap performance looks stronger. In the long runs, they were on average 0.87 seconds per lap slower than Mercedes, compared to a season average of 0.82 seconds.
The performance profile is similar to Ferrari’s, albeit at a slightly lower level. While the first sector with its fast corners still works well, the McLaren already drops off in the second sector. Above all, the reigning world champion team loses significant time on the straights in the third sector.
Has Red Bull fought its way out of the midfield?
With seven updates, Red Bull is one of the teams that made intensive use of the long break. That was urgently needed, as the RB22 had so far been trailing Mercedes by a hefty 1.26 seconds per lap in race pace. Initial impressions from Miami suggest that a step forward has been made.
Alongside a strong second place in outright pace during practice, the team also showed solid long runs in the middle of the session on medium tyres. After adjusting for different compounds, Max Verstappen was 0.88 seconds per lap slower than Mercedes, an improvement of around four tenths compared to earlier in the season.
Red Bull’s main strength remains top speed. No other car was faster in the final sector; Verstappen clearly topped the speed trap with 333kph. However, the car still appears to lack downforce in the corners, which is particularly noticeable in the first and second sectors.
Team-mate Isack Hadjar, on the other hand, struggled. The Frenchman finished only ninth, and in the long runs he was two seconds per lap off the pace, placing him in the lower midfield.
Max Verstappen, Red Bull Racing
Max Verstappen, Red Bull Racing
Max Verstappen, Red Bull Racing
Midfield: Alpine and Haas continue to set the tone
In the midfield as well, the competitive order has changed little. The best long-run pace was shown by Franco Colapinto in the Alpine (+1.32s). He was followed by the two Haas drivers Esteban Ocon (+1.59s) and Oliver Bearman (+1.86s), who also positioned themselves in the upper midfield.
A positive surprise came from Williams driver Carlos Sainz (+1.51s), who was also operating in this range. Nico Hulkenberg in the Audi (+1.85s) remains within striking distance of the points. Nevertheless, Alpine and Haas are still likely to be the favourites in the midfield.
Aston Martin did not complete any long runs, while Racing Bulls disappointed in race pace. Both Liam Lawson (+2.78s) and Arvid Lindblad (+3.84s) were far from the midfield. A similar picture emerged for the two Cadillac drivers Sergio Perez (+4.34s) and Valtteri Bottas (+5.32s).
Tyres: Red Bull with one fewer set of mediums
As is typical for sprint weekends, most teams used only one set of hard tyres and one set of softs for qualifying simulations at the end of the session. Among the top teams, only Red Bull additionally used a set of medium tyres, which will now be unavailable later in the weekend.
The medium tyre plays a central role on sprint weekends: it is usually used in SQ1 and SQ2, in the sprint race, and in one stint of the main race on Sunday. Ideally, teams aim to preserve all four available sets of mediums for the crucial sessions - but Red Bull opted for a different approach.
Incidentally, tyre degradation is unlikely to be a decisive factor. On the one hand, the weather situation for Sunday remains uncertain; on the other hand, the Miami International Autodrome is traditionally characterised by low tyre wear. All signs therefore point to a straightforward one-stop strategy under dry conditions.
