2026 Miami GP FP1: Leclerc sets the pace As F1 Returns

Charles Leclerc hit the ground running as Formula 1 roared back into life at the Miami International Autodrome, topping the only practice session of the weekend ahead of Max Verstappen and Oscar Piastri. As the paddock reconvened following a rare five-week break, the opening session of the Miami Grand Prix weekend delivered immediate intrigue — not least because early signs of vulnerability emerged from previously dominant Mercedes.

Leclerc’s benchmark lap of 1m 29.310s came in punishing Florida heat and humidity, setting the tone for what could be a pivotal weekend in the unfolding 2026 F1 World Championship. With the Miami round operating under the Sprint format, teams were limited to just one practice session — albeit extended to 90 minutes from the usual 60 — placing even greater emphasis on extracting maximum value from every lap.

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That additional half-hour proved essential. After more than a month away from competitive action, all 11 teams and 22 drivers used the session to recalibrate, test updates and adapt to recent regulatory refinements. Every team arrived with upgrades except Aston Martin, making this session one of the most significant data-gathering windows of the season so far.

2026 Miami Grand Prix FP1 Results

2026 Miami Grand Prix FP1, 1 May 2026

Pos.	No.	Driver	Team	Time / Gap	Laps
1	16	Charles Leclerc	Ferrari	1:29.310	41
2	3	Max Verstappen	Red Bull Racing	+0.297s	41
3	81	Oscar Piastri	McLaren	+0.448s	35
4	44	Lewis Hamilton	Ferrari	+0.467s	35
5	12	Kimi Antonelli	Mercedes	+0.769s	24
6	63	George Russell	Mercedes	+0.790s	34
7	1	Lando Norris	McLaren	+0.898s	35
8	10	Pierre Gasly	Alpine	+1.277s	34
9	6	Isack Hadjar	Red Bull Racing	+1.563s	40
10	55	Carlos Sainz	Williams	+1.620s	37
11	43	Franco Colapinto	Alpine	+1.705s	33
12	23	Alexander Albon	Williams	+1.714s	39
13	87	Oliver Bearman	Haas F1 Team	+1.781s	35
14	5	Gabriel Bortoleto	Audi	+1.801s	28
15	27	Nico Hulkenberg	Audi	+2.285s	33
16	31	Esteban Ocon	Haas F1 Team	+2.325s	36
17	30	Liam Lawson	Racing Bulls	+2.338s	41
18	11	Sergio Perez	Cadillac	+2.737s	25
19	14	Fernando Alonso	Aston Martin	+3.283s	29
20	77	Valtteri Bottas	Cadillac	+3.452s	33
21	41	Arvid Lindblad	Racing Bulls	+3.552s	41
22	18	Lance Stroll	Aston Martin	+3.649s	28

Early running reveals mixed fortunes as issues surface across the grid

When the green light came on at 12:00 local time, there was no hesitation — cars flooded out of the pit lane, most opting for the hardest compound tyres to begin their initial runs around the 5.412km circuit. Within 15 minutes, nearly the entire field had logged laps, with Lando Norris briefly leading the way in the mid-1m30s range, ahead of Verstappen and the Ferrari duo of Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton.

Only the Aston Martin pair of Fernando Alonso and Lance Stroll were absent early on, with the team later confirming a power-related issue. Elsewhere, reliability concerns began to surface across the grid: Pierre Gasly reported a “very strange smell” from his Alpine, while Mercedes’ George Russell flagged unusual turbo noises, likening it to “a steam train.”

Aston Martin eventually joined the session just beyond the 20-minute mark, with attention also turning to ongoing engine reliability measures — particularly following recent countermeasures introduced to reduce vibrations. Behind the scenes, both Ferrari and Red Bull were also gathering crucial data, each debuting revised aerodynamic concepts in their pursuit of Mercedes’ early-season advantage.

Antonelli leads briefly before Ferrari steps up the pace

At the halfway point, championship leader Kimi Antonelli briefly asserted control of the session, posting a 1m 30.079s to move ahead of Leclerc, Norris, Verstappen and Hamilton — all still running on harder compounds. But Mercedes’ momentum was far from stable, with Russell suffering a dramatic double lock-up that severely flat-spotted both front tyres, underlining the team’s lack of early balance.

As track conditions evolved, lap times began to tumble. Around 20 minutes later, Leclerc reclaimed the top spot with a 1m 29.855s, while Hamilton climbed into contention just behind Antonelli — still without switching to the softer compounds. When the soft tyres finally came into play, however, the order began to take clearer shape.

Alonso and Stroll were the first to gamble on the C5 compound but struggled for pace, ending up 18th and 19th respectively — over three seconds adrift. Stroll also found himself under scrutiny after impeding both Antonelli and Sergio Perez on separate runs, adding frustration to an already difficult session for Aston Martin.

Late-session surge seals Leclerc’s advantage as Mercedes falter

The final 20 minutes saw a rush of soft-tyre runs as drivers chased headline lap times. Sector records tumbled across the circuit before Leclerc delivered the definitive benchmark — a 1m 29.310s that left him nearly three-tenths clear of Verstappen and a further tenth ahead of Piastri.

Hamilton remained firmly in the mix despite a compromised final run, having to abort a lap due to traffic from a slow-moving Audi. Still, Ferrari’s overall performance suggested strong underlying pace heading into the competitive sessions.

For Mercedes, however, the session ended on a more concerning note. Antonelli was unable to complete a representative soft-tyre lap due to a power unit issue requiring attention in the garage, leaving him fifth behind his team-mate Russell, who could only manage sixth despite using the quicker compound.

Norris, meanwhile, saw his own soft-tyre effort unravel after encountering Alex Albon at the final hairpin, forcing him wide and consigning the reigning World Champion to seventh place. Gasly, Isack Hadjar and Carlos Sainz completed the top 10.

Further down the order, Franco Colapinto and Albon slotted into P11 and P12, followed by a tightly packed midfield featuring Ollie Bearman, Gabriel Bortoleto, Nico Hulkenberg and Esteban Ocon. The remaining positions were filled by the Racing Bulls, Cadillac and Aston Martin entries, all with work to do before Sprint Qualifying.