Leclerc tops Miami practice as Ferrari shows early pace shift

Charles Leclerc gave Ferrari an early lift in Miami, topping the only practice session with a best lap of 1m 29.310s and edging Max Verstappen by 0.164 seconds. Oscar Piastri took third for McLaren, while Lewis Hamilton also sat near the front, giving Ferrari two cars in the mix on a day that mattered more than most practice sessions usually do.

The result carried extra weight because Miami ran under the Sprint format, leaving the field only one practice hour to sort through setup, tyre work and the first read on upgraded machinery. That single session was stretched to 90 minutes from the usual 60 after consultation with stakeholders, a change the FIA tied to the five-week gap since the last Grand Prix, the recently announced regulatory and technical adjustments, and the compressed Miami weekend at the Miami International Autodrome.

For Ferrari, Leclerc’s time was more than a clean lap on soft tyres. Multiple reports pointed to an upgraded SF-26 in Florida, and the team’s pace suggested the package may have delivered a genuine step rather than a temporary gain in a session where rivals had little time to recover from mistakes or experiment with large setup swings. In a weekend with only one practice, speed at the top of the timesheets can become a first clue to where a team stands when the pressure rises.

That is especially true in Miami, where Formula 1 returned after a month-long break and teams had to absorb both the pause and the latest technical changes before qualifying and the Sprint races. Ferrari’s performance therefore offered an early test of whether the team can turn straight-line promise into a broader competitive shift, not just a quick lap. The next question is whether that pace holds when fuel loads rise, the track evolves and points are on the line.

Mercedes had a rougher opening. Kimi Antonelli was hit by power-unit trouble, and both Mercedes drivers were affected by early issues that limited their day. In a session already shortened by the Sprint schedule, those problems made every lost minute more costly, while Ferrari left the paddock with a stronger first impression and a hint that its Miami speed may be part of a larger turnaround.