– Charles Leclerc was the fastest driver in the only Free Practice of the Formula 1 in Miami, (Get the complete practice results here!) which was held over 90 minutes instead of the usual 60 minutes.
The Ferrari driver set the best time of the session in 1:29.310 minutes and had a three-tenths of a second lead over Max Verstappen, who took second place in the Red Bull. Third was Oscar Piastri (McLaren/+0.448) ahead of Lewis Hamilton (Ferrari/+0.467).
However, some drivers had trouble putting together a clean lap in the hectic final phase. Hamilton was on a good pace but made a mistake in the last corner and lost a lot of time. The same applies to world champion Lando Norris (McLaren), who was held up by Alexander Albon (Williams) in the final corner and had to settle for seventh place.
World Championship leader Kimi Antonelli (Mercedes) could not intervene in the time attack at the end because he was kept in the garage with a power unit problem. He finished fifth ahead of teammate George Russell.
There is also no particularly representative time from Nico Hülkenberg (15th), as he completely locked up in turn 1 at the end of his only attempt and went into the runoff area.
The most important points in brief:
Result: 1st Free Practice in Miami
Photos: Miami Grand Prix 2026
Why did the practice last 90 minutes?
Originally, the practice was supposed to start at 18:30 and last 60 minutes – as usual. But before the weekend in Miami, it was announced that the first session would start half an hour earlier and last 90 minutes.
The reason for the adjustment is the rule changes announced by Formula 1 during the break. Teams and drivers have half an hour more with the new schedule to familiarize themselves with the changes.
Because Miami is a sprint weekend, there is only one practice on Friday before the sprint qualifying later that day. Therefore, it was agreed to extend the duration of FP1 by 30 minutes once.
Were there any problems?
No spectacular ones. Many drivers locked up, some smelled strange things in their cockpit like Piastri or Pierre Gasly (Alpine), although the cause is not clear. The biggest problems were once again found at Aston Martin, who took a lot of time getting out due to recurring power unit issues.
In the end, Fernando Alonso and Lance Stroll were still able to complete a regular program.
Antonelli was kept in the garage at the end with a power unit problem. There were no major incidents or accidents.
What’s next at the Miami Grand Prix 2026
At 22:30, the sprint qualifying is scheduled. The day’s events from Friday (May 1) will then be analyzed from 1 a.m. by Kevin Scheuren and Kevin Hermann in the livestream on the Formel1.de YouTube channel, where of course a look will also be taken at the long-run data from the first practice.
Formula 1 Saturday (April 2) in Miami begins at 6 p.m. with the sprint. At 10 p.m., the qualifying for the race on Sunday follows. Kevin Scheuren and Stefan Ehlen will report from 1 a.m. in the YouTube livestream and discuss all important topics regarding qualifying and the sprint.
On Sunday, the race start in Miami is scheduled for 10 p.m. At 2 a.m. CEST, Kevin Scheuren and Stefan Ehlen will start their Grand Prix analysis. As always, channel members can ask their questions live.
All information about streams and TV broadcasts in Germany, Austria, and Switzerland can be found in our current overview. Details on the weather forecast can be found in our preview.
After Miami, Formula 1 will take a short break. The next Grand Prix will take place on May 24, 2026, in Montreal (Canada). (View the 2026 race calendar here!)
