Leclerc fastest in Miami practice as F1 season resumes after break
Charles Leclerc of Ferrari topped the sole practice for the Miami Grand Prix as Formula One resumed the 2026 season on Friday following a month-long break. The Monegasque set the best time of 1 minute 29. 310 seconds, 0.
297 seconds ahead of the Red Bull of Max Verstappen. Oscar Piastri in the McLaren completed the top three. Championship leader Kimi Antonelli was fifth, followed by Mercedes team-mate George Russell.
Defending champion Lando Norris was seventh in the other McLaren. Drivers and teams were forced to take an unplanned break following the Japanese GP on March 29 after races in Bahrain and Saudi Arabia were cancelled due to the escalation of the conflict in the Middle East. During this period, the new set of regulations, which came into force this year, was slightly tweaked amid safety concerns due to dangerous closing speeds.
Miami is hosting a sprint weekend and qualifying for the sprint race is later on Friday.