F1 MIAMI GRAND PRIX - LATEST UPDATES
- F1 returns after a five-week break with the Miami Grand Prix
- Qualifying is at 9pm (BST)
- Lando Norris wins the Miami sprint; Piastri 2nd; Leclerc 3rd
- Kimi Antonelli leads the world championship | Click HERE for standings
- How to watch Miami Grand Prix as F1 returns
What time is qualifying?
18:16 , Kieran JacksonQualifying for the Miami Grand Prix starts at 9pm (BST) on Saturday night.
Max Verstappen after finishing fifth in the sprint:
19:45 , Kieran Jackson“The start was again not good, similar to China. In clean air, the car felt not too bad, the pace was alright, there’s still a lot of room to improvement. In slow-speed corners, the car is jumping a lot.
On Hamilton clash: “I had to let him by but he didn’t come by. Don’t know what else I could have done there. That was a shame.”
Lewis Hamilton on sprint after a seventh-place finish:
19:30 , Kieran Jackson“I’m hoping we can change a lot [for qualifying]. Yesterday I lost three-tenths because the software wasn’t working.
“Losing down the straights, in the race that continued, we have to make some changes going into qualifying. The setup is in the wrong place, definitely make some good changes going forward.”
Oscar Piastri, who finished P2 in the sprint:
19:15 , Kieran Jackson“Overall a good morning, let’s see what we can do for qualifying, let’s hope we can maintain that for the weekend.”
George Russell, who finished fourth:
19:00 , Kieran Jackson“P4. Obviously, the improvements from McLaren, Ferrari and Red Bull - a little bit daunting.”
Kimi Antonelli, who finished sixth:
18:45 , Kieran Jackson“We’ve been doing work in the break - I did everything right with the [start] procedure, grip was very low, I was very frustrated afterwards, I got track limits, something I need to avoid.
“We’ve just got to try and maximise the result and we focus on qualifying.”
Lando Norris after his sprint victory:
18:32 , Kieran Jackson“It was a good race, nice to be back on the top step, a massive job to the team for bringing the upgrades, ours have really helped, good start to the weekend, have to do it all again.
“It’s worked so far. We’ll just keep our head down.”
Charles Leclerc after finishing third:
18:05 , Kieran Jackson“I'm satisfied with that, not satisfied with P3, McLaren made a good start, but the upgrades are good.”
Antonelli's lead trimmed after penalty
17:55 , Kieran Jackson1. Kimi Antonelli (Mercedes) - 75 points
2. George Russell (Mercedes) - 68 points
3. Charles Leclerc (Ferrari) - 55 points
4. Lewis Hamilton (Ferrari) - 43 points
5. Lando Norris (McLaren) - 33 points
6. Oscar Piastri (McLaren) -28 points
7. Ollie Bearman (Haas) - 17 points
8. Pierre Gasly (Alpine) - 16 points
9. Max Verstappen Red Bull) - 16 points
10. Liam Lawson (Racing Bulls) - 10 points
RESULT ALTERATION: Antonelli punished
17:43 , Kieran JacksonThe Italian has dropped two places to sixth!
He’s been punished for exceeding track limits for a fourth time on the final lap at turn 11! Five-second penalty...
Russell up to fourth, Verstappen now P5.
Russell now gains two points on his teammate!
Top-8 in Miami sprint
17:41 , Kieran Jackson1. Lando Norris
2. Oscar Piastri
3. Charles Leclerc
4. Kimi Antonelli
5. George Russell
6. Max Verstappen
7. Lewis Hamilton
8. Pierre Gasly
Lando Norris wins Miami sprint race
17:34 , Kieran JacksonCruise control for the reigning world champion as he wins the sprint in Miami!
It’s a McLaren one-two with Oscar Piastri in second and Charles Leclerc in third.
4-8: Antonelli, Russell, Verstappen, Hamilton, Gasly
Final lap
17:33 , Kieran JacksonNorris is heading for his first win here with a four-second lead on Piastri.
This looks set to be his fourth-ever sprint race victory.
Piastri opens up advantage (Lap 17/19)
17:31 , Kieran JacksonLeclerc did get within 0.4 seconds but has now dropped back to beyond one second.
The points-scoring top-eight now looking quite set.
Top-8: Norris, Piastri, Leclerc, Antonelli, Russell, Verstappen, Hamilton, Gasly, Hadjar
Leclerc closing in on Piastri (Lap 14/19)
17:26 , Kieran JacksonIt’s now 0.7 seconds - the Ferrari is closing in on the McLaren in second!
Meanwhile, Antonelli has extended his lead to 2.2 seconds to Mercedes teammate Russell.
Norris's lead now three seconds (Lap 11/19)
17:22 , Kieran JacksonThe reigning world champion is very comfortable out in front, as he eyes his first win of 2026!
Three seconds is the gap to Oscar Piastri, while Charles Leclerc is now within a second of the Australian.
Top-8: Norris, Piastri, Leclerc, Antonelli, Russell, Verstappen, Hamilton, Gasly
Verstappen takes sixth (Lap 9/19)
17:20 , Kieran JacksonVerstappen makes a move on Hamilton - this time legally - down the inside at turn 17 and makes it stick!
Hamilton doesn’t have the pace to fight back either.
Hamilton and Verstappen clash (Lap 8/19)
17:18 , Kieran JacksonIt’s all going on at turn 11! Antonelli re-passes Russell and Verstappen makes a move on Hamilton, but completes the overtake off the circuit!
Hamilton: “Max overtook me going off track.”
And Verstappen does give the spot back later in the lap.
Top-8: Norris, Piastri, Leclerc, Antonelli, Russell, Hamilton, Verstappen, Gasly
Russell passes Antonelli (Lap 7/19)
17:16 , Kieran JacksonSuper move from Russell down the inside at turn 17 (the end of the back straight) and the Briton defends well heading into turn 1.
Russell up to fourth!
Norris leads comfortably (Lap 5/19)
17:10 , Kieran JacksonNorris has a 1.5-second lead to Piastri out in front, with Leclerc 1.6 seconds further back.
Antonelli, Russell, Hamilton and Verstappen (4-7) are in a very close pack behind.
It’s tight!
Lindblad won't take part in sprint (Lap 4/19)
17:09 , Kieran JacksonTurns out the Briton did not leave the pit-lane - his car has a technical issue.
Charles Leclerc under pressure from Antonelli (Lap 2/19)
17:08 , Kieran JacksonAntonelli has a few looks down the inside - but nothing doing
Leclerc not happy: “Kimi is so bad on wheel-to-wheel. He moved under braking, it’s unbelievable, we are going to crash.”
Top-8: Norris, Piastri, Leclerc, Antonelli, Russell, Hamilton, Verstappen, Gasly
Norris leads as Antonelli drops back
17:05 , Kieran JacksonSmooth start for Norris - and it’s a McLaren one-two at the front with Piastri in second!
It was ANOTHER tough start for Antonelli, who falls back to fourth - just holding off teammate Russell!
Leclerc up to third.
Formation lap
17:01 , Kieran JacksonNorris leads the other 20 cars around the track for the formation lap.
Nico Hulkenberg is out; Arvid Lindblad starts in the pit-lane.
Everyone in the top-16 has medium tyres on. No pit-stops required in the sprint race, as a reminder.
Here we go then!
A reminder of the grid top-10 for the sprint race
16:58 , Kieran Jackson1. Lando Norris
2. Kimi Antonelli
3. Oscar Piastri
4. Charles Leclerc
5. Max Verstappen
6. George Russell
7. Lewis Hamilton
8. Franco Colapinto
9. Isack Hadjar
10. Pierre Gasly
Norris on pole for sprint
16:58 , Kieran JacksonHere we go then - time for the second sprint race of the season!
Lando Norris starts on pole alongside championship leader Kimi Antonelli - it’s not the longest run down to turn 1 at Miami, but will we have a change of the lead at the start?
Oscar Piastri starts in third, with Charles Leclerc in that rapid-starting Ferrari in fourth.
Max Verstappen is in fifth, a spot ahead of arch rival George Russell with Lewis Hamilton in P7.
Hulkenberg out of the sprint
16:53 , Kieran JacksonUnsurprisingly, Hulkenberg’s Audi is out of the sprint after that fire earlier - and we’ll see if it’s ready for grand prix qualifying later on.
Meanwhile, Arvid Lindblad starts from the pit-lane after Racing Bulls broke Parc Ferme rules.
Less than 10 minutes to go!
A minute's silence for Alex Zanardi
16:47 , Kieran JacksonImpeccably observed on the Miami grid.
Nico Hulkenberg's car is on fire
16:39 , Kieran JacksonProblems on the laps to the grid for Audi!
Hulkenberg’s car is on fire at the rear. He’s jumped out all OK - but it looks like his sprint is done before it’s even started!
Lewis Hamilton, who qualified P7:
16:31 , Kieran Jackson“We didn’t know what to expect, I had hoped we would be better, the car didn’t feel particularly great.
“I have no idea, I thought we’d be stronger than we are today. We need to do some work overnight to figure out why we’re not that quick.
“I was positive coming in, hoping we would be much higher, but not meant to be.”
Martin Brundle on Alex Zanardi:
16:25 , Kieran Jackson“He was the most wonderful character and extraordinary individual. people did not expect him to survive the accident in 2001. We were in Monza and heard he wouldn’t make it, but he did.
“He just had a relentless competitive nature against all odds and challenges and then tragically had another accident with his hand-bike and a truck. No news was bad news in that respect - what an incredible character and inspiration to everybody.”
F1 boss Domenicali statement on Zanardi
16:20 , Kieran Jackson“I am deeply saddened by the passing of my dear friend Alex Zanardi. He was truly an inspirational person, as a human and as an athlete.
“I will always carry with me his extraordinary strength. He faced challenges that would have stopped anyone, yet he continued to look forward, always with a smile and a stubborn determination that inspired us all.
“While his loss is profoundly felt, his legacy remains strong. At this time, my heartfelt thoughts and deepest sympathies are with his wife Daniela, his son Niccolo, the rest of the family and all those who had the privilege of knowing him.”
A reminder of the grid top-10 for the sprint race
16:15 , Kieran Jackson1. Lando Norris
2. Kimi Antonelli
3. Oscar Piastri
4. Charles Leclerc
5. Max Verstappen
6. George Russell
7. Lewis Hamilton
8. Franco Colapinto
9. Isack Hadjar
10. Pierre Gasly
Alex Zanardi dies aged 59
16:10 , Kieran JacksonSome very sad news reached us this morning, with the statement that ex-F1 driver Alex Zanardi has passed away at the age of 59 after a remarkable life.
Zanardi competed in Formula One for five seasons, achieving a best finish of sixth at the 1993 Brazilian Grand Prix. A major crash in 2001 resulted in the amputation of both his legs, a life-altering event he remarkably overcame.
He went on to become a Paralympic champion, securing two para-cycling gold medals at the London Games in 2012, and two more in Rio de Janeiro four years later. A multiple winner at the UCI Para-cycling Road World Championships, most recently in 2019, another serious accident in 2020 led to a further lengthy lay-off.
More info below:
Alex Zanardi dead: Tributes to F1 driver and four-time Paralympic gold-medallist
Top-10 - driver standings in Miami
16:00 , Kieran Jackson1. Kimi Antonelli (Mercedes) - 72 points
2. George Russell (Mercedes) - 63 points
3. Charles Leclerc (Ferrari) - 49 points
4. Lewis Hamilton (Ferrari) - 41 points
5. Lando Norris (McLaren) - 25 points
6. Oscar Piastri (McLaren) -21 points
7. Ollie Bearman (Haas) - 17 points
8. Pierre Gasly (Alpine) - 15 points
9. Max Verstappen Red Bull) - 12 points
10. Liam Lawson (Racing Bulls) - 10 points
Lewis Hamilton backed for F1 race victories with Ferrari – with one caveat
15:45 , Kieran JacksonMartin Brundle has backed Lewis Hamilton to win F1 races this season – provided Ferrari make a “big step” at the Miami Grand Prix this weekend.
Full story below:
Lewis Hamilton backed for F1 race victories with Ferrari – with one caveat
Lando Norris hails ‘inspirational’ Justin Rose as golfer teams up with McLaren
15:00 , Kieran JacksonLando Norris says it is “very cool” to see Justin Rose using McLaren golf clubs and believes the 45-year-old is an inspiration.
“I’ve not (been involved). But it’s very cool, I love my golf,” Norris said.
“It is just a cool situation that McLaren have got involved with. Justin is a good friend of mine.
“Justin is one of the best in the world. For a guy at his age to be that number in the world is pretty inspirational actually for a lot of people of that age.”
Valtteri Bottas reveals how he ‘starved himself’ at start of F1 career in vulnerable letter
14:00 , Kieran JacksonValtteri Bottas has opened up about his F1 career in a vulnerable letter online, revealing he starved himself during his time at Williams to alleviate weight concerns with the team’s car.
The popular Finnish driver, 36, has returned to the grid this year after a year out with Cadillac, F1’s newest team. The 2026 campaign is Bottas’s 13th in Formula 1.
The 36-year-old started his career with Williams in 2013 before moving to Mercedes in 2017, where he partnered Lewis Hamilton amid a period of all-out dominance for the Silver Arrows. He then concluded his first stint in the sport with three seasons at Alfa Romeo/Sauber from 2022 to 2024.
Bottas impressed in his early years, quickly registering podiums for Williams but in a letter for The Players’ Tribune released on Wednesday, the Finn has revealed his extreme and dangerous approach to improving performance at the start of his second season in 2014.
Full story below:
Bottas reveals how he ‘starved himself’ at start of F1 career in vulnerable letter
Constructor standings heading into Miami:
12:00 , Kieran Jackson1. Mercedes - 135 points
2. Ferrari - 90 points
3. McLaren - 46 points
4. Haas - 18 points
5. Alpine - 16 points
6. Red Bull - 16 points
7. Racing Bulls - 14 points
8. Audi - 2 points
9. Williams - 2 points
10. Cadillac - 0 points
11. Aston Martin - 0 points
Red Bull F1 chief speaks out on Max Verstappen’s future: ‘Absolutely not’
10:00 , Kieran JacksonRed Bull team principal Laurent Mekies insists the exit of key personnel will not accelerate Max Verstappen’s departure from the team.
“Absolutely not,” said Mekies, when asked if Lambiase’s departure, alongside other exits, would hasten his own star driver’s departure. “That’s my direct answer to you.
“Obviously, we speak with Max every day. And Max knows motorsport upside-down. He’s living and breathing this team.”
McLaren CEO Zak Brown on new regulations:
08:00 , Kieran Jackson“The regulations are very young, they’re only going to be better. The racing has been good. I’m sympathetic that you have to drive these cars a different way, hope we come up with the best of both worlds.”
Kimi Antonelli, who qualified P2:
06:00 , Kieran Jackson"It was a pretty messy session," the Italian said. "I struggled a lot with the car and on the medium (tyres required in the first two sessions) I couldn't get a lap in, and then on the soft, all of a sudden, the car became more alive. I felt more comfortable.
"We definitely felt we were expecting this weekend to be quite a bit tougher, also because those teams brought major upgrades which they closed the gap massively, or even went in front of us. McLaren have the same engine as us and they improve a lot the car, but I think we can be in the fight."
Ollie Bearman, who qualified 13th:
04:00 , Kieran Jackson"It’s been a tough day, as it’s been the hottest conditions we’ve driven these cars in, and it’s posed a few challenges. It’s been challenging to put the car on the limit and it’s been a bit unpredictable, plus with the abundance of low-speed corners, I’ve been struggling to have a balance that I can trust and push.
“We made a big step from FP1 to Sprint Quali, I’m really happy about that, and we need another step of that magnitude for tomorrow."
LandSPRINT QUALIFYING REPORT: Norris takes pole for Miami GP sprint race with Mercedes on back foot
02:00 , Kieran JacksonLando Norris claimed sprint qualifying pole in Miami as McLaren took the fight to Mercedes.
The reigning champion will start Saturday’s 19-lap dash from the front of the grid after beating Mercedes’ championship leader Kimi Antonelli by 0.222 seconds, with Oscar Piastri lining up third in the second McLaren ahead of Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc in fourth.
Lando Norris takes pole for Miami GP sprint race with Mercedes on back foot
Charles Leclerc, who qualified P4:
Friday 1 May 2026 23:59 , Kieran Jackson“Upgrades are fine, but everybody brought upgrades, we expected that situation, McLaren did a very good step forward. On our side, we’ve struggled with tyres, mediums were working well, soft was not a nice feeling.
“Tomorrow we can fine-tune and find some performance. In the race I hope we can come up to the front. “
Max Verstappen, who qualified 5th:
Friday 1 May 2026 23:40 , Kieran Jackson"It feels more together, still things that we are working on, a really positive step for us.
“We've almost halved the one second gap, we're still very weak on high speed first sector, but bit happer with that. It seems we've cleared the midfield.
“It feels a bit more normal, still not where I want it to be but it's allowing me to trust it a bit more and take a bit more lap time out of it.”
George Russell, who starts P6:
Friday 1 May 2026 23:05 , Kieran Jackson“Pretty surprising how big a jump McLaren and Ferrari have made. I’ve been struggling today but it’s only sprint qualifying, so we’ll see.
“Overheating the tyres a lot, struggling to get the right balance with the car. I’ve been quite surprised with the progress of the others.
“Sprint races don’t offer that much. I want to get off the line, don’t lose too many positions.”
Sprint qualifying - full results:
Friday 1 May 2026 22:50 , Kieran Jackson1. Lando Norris
2. Kimi Antonelli
3. Oscar Piastri
4. Charles Leclerc
5. Max Verstappen
6. George Russell
7. Lewis Hamilton
8. Franco Colapinto
9. Isack Hadjar
10. Pierre Gasly
11. Gabriel Bortoleto
12. Nico Hulkenberg
13. Ollie Bearman
14. Alex Albon
15. Carlos Sainz
16. Arvid Lindblad
17., Liam Lawson
18. Esteban Ocon
19. Sergio Perez
20. Valtteri Bottas
21. Fernando Alonso
22. Lance Stroll
What time is the sprint race?
Friday 1 May 2026 22:39 , Kieran JacksonThe sprint race on Saturday will start at 5pm (BST).
Norris on pole, alongside championship leader Antonelli.
Qualifying is at 9pm.
Lando Norris after claiming sprint pole:
Friday 1 May 2026 22:34 , Kieran Jackson“That was great, perfect result for us, nice way for us to reward the team. Nice to feel the grip, have always loved Miami. Still a long way to go but nice to ticking it off.
“This track has always been good for us, we’ve made a good step, nice our estimations have proved correct. Since the first lap, I’ve felt comfortable. Good to start the weekend with a pole.”
TOP-10 IN SPRINT QUALIFYING
Friday 1 May 2026 22:24 , Kieran Jackson1. Lando Norris
2. Kimi Antonelli
3. Oscar Piastri
4. Charles Leclerc
5. Max Verstappen
6. George Russell
7. Lewis Hamilton
8. Franco Colapinto
9. Isack Hadjar
10. Pierre Gasly
Lando Norris on pole position
Friday 1 May 2026 22:16 , Kieran JacksonWhat a moment for McLaren - it’s Lando on pole for the sprint!
Norris takes it with a 1:27:869, two-tenths ahead of Kimi Antonelli with Oscar Piastri in third.
George Russell only down in sixth!
4-10: Leclerc, Verstappen, Russell, Hamilton, Colapinto, Hadjar, Gasly
SQ3 conclusion
Friday 1 May 2026 22:13 , Kieran JacksonOne lap each... and it’s tight....
SQ3 underway
Friday 1 May 2026 22:09 , Kieran JacksonThey’ll all just wait here for the end of the session to set a timed lap or two.
10 drivers involved: Leclerc, Piastri, Hamilton, Russell, Verstappen, Antonelli, Norris, Colapinto, Hadjar, Gasly
Williams' Carlos Sainz:
Friday 1 May 2026 22:04 , Kieran Jackson“We are 3 steps behind where we should be. I’m not happy with this - we can’t be doing one hour and a half of practice and still be in this state.”
Strong words.
Ollie Bearman out in SQ2
Friday 1 May 2026 22:02 , Kieran JacksonBearman sets a time - but it’s not quick enough! Lindblad also out.
Bottom-six and out in SQ2 (11-16): Bortoleto, Hulkenberg, Bearman, Albon, Sainz, Lindblad
Top-3: Leclerc, Piastri, Hamilton
Russell half-a-second off in fourth! Fight for pole coming up...
Bearman and Lindblad in trouble
Friday 1 May 2026 21:56 , Kieran JacksonThe two young Brits yet to set a time so far.
Top-3: Leclerc, Piastri Hamilton
Audi and Williams also in the bottom-six ahead of the final runs...
SQ2 underway
Friday 1 May 2026 21:50 , Kieran JacksonBig queue in the pit-lane at the start of SQ2 - 10 minutes and mediums the requisite tyre once again.
Liam Lawson out in SQ1
Friday 1 May 2026 21:45 , Kieran JacksonBit of a shock there, with a Racing Bulls driver out first up - and a Haas!
No improvement for Aston Martin - neither driver set a proper timed lap.
Bottom-six (17-22) and out in SQ1: Lawson, Ocon, Perez, Bottas, Alonso, Stroll
Lando Norris fastest
Friday 1 May 2026 21:41 , Kieran JacksonNorris goes four-tenths faster than McLaren teammate Piastri in second, with Leclerc in third.
Lance Stroll is out of SQ1 - who else will join him out of sprint qualifying?
Final laps coming in now.
Lance Stroll stops out on track
Friday 1 May 2026 21:36 , Kieran JacksonOh dear.
Stroll’s Aston Martin car stopped on the outside of turn 16.
A load of cars, including Norris’, having to lift - laps ruined.
6:00 to go in SQ1.
SQ1 underway
Friday 1 May 2026 21:34 , Kieran JacksonNo cars out there straight away.... as they all take their time.
All 22 cars on mediums for SQ1.
Sprint qualifying in Miami
Friday 1 May 2026 21:25 , Kieran JacksonSo in no time at all, we’re into a qualifying session in Miami - albeit a quickfire sprint qualifying!
It’s the usual format, just condensed: 12 mins for SQ1, 10 mins for SQ2 and 8 mins for SQ3.
And after an open FP1, who knows who could nick it? Mercedes were not the standouts; instead Ferrari, with their 11 upgrades, set the pace.
Jenson Button on Aston Martin:
Friday 1 May 2026 19:20 , Kieran JacksonOn new upgrades: “Three-tenths of upgrades isn’t enough anyway - they may as well do a big upgrade in a few races.
“It’s more important to spend the time developing the car in the background.”
11-22 in FP1
Friday 1 May 2026 18:44 , Kieran Jackson11. Colapinto
12. Albon
13. Bearman
14. Bortoleto
15. Hulkenberg
16. Ocon
17. Lawson
18. Perez
19. Alonso
20. Bottas
21. Lindblad
22. Stroll
Top-10 in FP1
Friday 1 May 2026 18:38 , Kieran Jackson1. Leclerc - 1:29:310
2. Verstappen +0.297
3. Piastri +0.448
4. Hamilton +0.467
5. Antonelli +0.769
6. Russell +0.790
7. Norris +0.898
8. Gasly +1.277
9. Hadjar +1.563
10. Sainz +1.620
What time is sprint qualifying?
Friday 1 May 2026 18:35 , Kieran JacksonThe first competitive session of the weekend is at 9:30pm (BST).
Ferrari look quick - can they pip Mercedes to pole?
Leclerc goes even quicker
Friday 1 May 2026 18:31 , Kieran JacksonBenchmark set by the Ferrari driver, who with a 1:29:310 goes even faster, finishing 0.297 secs ahead of Max Verstappen in second.
Impressive.
Oscar Piastri is up to third, with Lewis Hamilton in fourth and Kimi Antonelli fifth - 0.769 secs off the leading time.
6-10: Antonelli, Russell, Norris, Gasly, Hadjar, Sainz
Quite a few lock-ups - Norris, Hamilton, Hulkenberg - heading into turn 1. Tricky for everyone - and Mercedes don’t have it all their own way early on.
Norris and Albon clash
Friday 1 May 2026 18:24 , Kieran JacksonDid they touch there?!
At turn 17, the end of the back straight, the two friends clash! Norris was on for a good one there as well.
Meanwhile, Antonelli is out of the session due to a power unit issue.
At the moment, top-3 with 5 mins left of FP1: Leclerc, Verstappen, Hamilton
Oscar Piastri:
Friday 1 May 2026 18:16 , Kieran Jackson“I have some smoke in the cockpit.”
There was a makeshift McLaren pit-stop which sounded... clunky. Probably the cause.
The Australian is currently P6 on the timesheet.
Bit of a lull here, before what should be an action-packed final 10 minutes of practice and a basic qualifying simulation.
FP1 IN MIAMI
Friday 1 May 2026 18:12 , Kieran Jackson
Leclerc goes P1
Friday 1 May 2026 17:57 , Kieran JacksonWhisper it quietly but Ferrari look... quick!
Leclerc P1, two-tenths clear of Antonelli in second, with Hamilton 0.340 secs off his teammate in third.
4-10: Norris, Verstappen, Piastri, Russell, Gasly, Colapinto, Hadjar
Just over 30 mins left in FP1!
Norris just a tenth off Antonelli
Friday 1 May 2026 17:43 , Kieran JacksonStrong lap from Lando, who claimed his first F1 win here in 2024.
However, it could have been better, as he just skidded coming out of turn 18.
Kimi Antonelli goes top
Friday 1 May 2026 17:35 , Kieran JacksonNot that times are the main focus right now, but Kimi Antonelli is in P1 at the moment, ahead of Charles Leclerc in second and Lando Norris in third.
Only two-tenths separating the top-three.
4-10: Verstappen, Hamilton, Russell, Piastri, Colapinto, Hadjar, Gasly
Meanwhile, both Aston Martin cars have made it out on track, even if it’s brief.
Aston Martin STATEMENT
Friday 1 May 2026 17:22 , Kieran JacksonWhy is neither car out of the garage yet?
Aston: “Both cars' running is delayed due to a power issue in the garage.”
Deary me...
George Russell has problems with his car's 'turbo'
Friday 1 May 2026 17:18 , Kieran Jackson“It’s making a noise like a steam train, I don’t know exactly what it is.”
Accompanied with the sound of train. Classic FP1 radio calls early on...
Lando Norris now P1, with Max Verstappen seven-tenths off in second and Charles Leclerc third.
Gasly's Alpine has an issue
Friday 1 May 2026 17:13 , Kieran Jackson“There’s a strange smell on the car,” says Gasly.
Interesting...
Lewis Hamilton locks up
Friday 1 May 2026 17:09 , Kieran JacksonEarly scare for the seven-time world champion, who locks up and goes off-track in sector one. All fine, though.
His Ferrari teammate Charles Leclerc is P1 early on here - with every driver bar the Aston Martin duo on track.
What is up with Aston this season, eh?
FP1 underway
Friday 1 May 2026 17:02 , Kieran JacksonThe clock - starting at 90 minutes - starts to tick down and we are green in the pit-lane outside the Hard Rock Stadium.
F1 is back. It feels like the start of the season all over again!
FP1 in Miami
Friday 1 May 2026 16:59 , Kieran JacksonHere we go then - an extended 90-minute practice session first up in Miami, given the new regulations and the fact it’s a sprint weekend!
Who will have the early upper hand?
FIA release statement with thunderstorms forecast for Miami Grand Prix
Friday 1 May 2026 16:56 , Kieran JacksonF1’s governing body says they are “closely monitoring” the situation amid speculation Sunday’s Miami Grand Prix could be rescheduled due to thunderstorms.
While sunny conditions are expected for Friday and Saturday at the Hard Rock Stadium, the latest forecasts for Sunday show heavy thunderstorms hitting the Miami Gardens area.
Sunday’s grand prix is scheduled to start at 4pm local time (9pm BST), but the FIA could move the race forward a few hours, should the weather radar show a risk of lightning.
Full statement below:
FIA release statement with thunderstorms forecast for F1’s Miami Grand Prix
Lewis Hamilton 'fired up' ahead of Miami
Friday 1 May 2026 16:49 , Kieran Jackson"Everyone's had a chance to go over what happened in the first three races.
"Everyone's had more of an intense time to work on refining the car.
"Just feel fired up for the second stab at it."
George Russell not worried about trailing early in F1 title battle
Friday 1 May 2026 16:44 , Kieran Jackson“Nobody remembers who leads the standings for the longest time,” Russell said. “It’s about crossing the line first at the end.”
Simple mentality, then, from Russell heading into round four.
Top-10 in driver standings heading into Miami
Friday 1 May 2026 16:38 , Kieran Jackson1. Kimi Antonelli (Mercedes) - 72 points
2. George Russell (Mercedes) - 63 points
3. Charles Leclerc (Ferrari) - 49 points
4. Lewis Hamilton (Ferrari) - 41 points
5. Lando Norris (McLaren) - 25 points
6. Oscar Piastri (McLaren) -21 points
7. Ollie Bearman (Haas) - 17 points
8. Pierre Gasly (Alpine) - 15 points
9. Max Verstappen Red Bull) - 12 points
10. Liam Lawson (Racing Bulls) - 10 points
Start times this weekend in Miami
Friday 1 May 2026 16:27 , Kieran JacksonAll times BST
Friday 1 May
- Free practice 1: 5pm
- Sprint qualifying: 9:30pm
Saturday 2 May
- Sprint race: 5pm
- Qualifying: 9pm
Sunday 3 May
- Race: 9pm
F1 Miami GP LIVE
Friday 1 May 2026 16:24 , Kieran JacksonFormula 1 returns after the enforced spring break with the Miami Grand Prix this weekend - and the second sprint race of the 2026 season.
Due to the cancellation of races in Bahrain and Saudi Arabia because of the ongoing conflict in the Gulf, F1 was absent over April but, behind the scenes, teams were working hard to close the gap on Mercedes. In addition, F1 and the FIA agreed on a set of tweaks to the controversial 2026 regulations.
Kimi Antonelli won the last race in Japan after benefiting from a well-timed safety car. The Italian 19-year-old leads the world championship by nine points over Mercedes teammate George Russell, who was cut a frustrated figure at Suzuka in finishing fourth.
Reigning world champions McLaren found themselves back on the podium with Oscar Piastri’s second-place finish while Charles Leclerc came home third for Ferrari. After the last race, four-time F1 world champion Max Verstappen also revealed he was considering quitting the sport at the end of the season. Will the rule changes, to be first seen in Miami, make a difference?
