Charles Leclerc Claims FP1 Pole in Miami GP Sprint Qualifying Surprise

Ferrari’s Leclerc Leads FP1 as Mercedes Faces Power Unit Woes

After an unexpected layoff due to the cancellations of the Bahrain and Saudi Arabian Grands Prix, Formula 1 returned this weekend for the Miami Grand Prix. The action began with an extended 90-minute FP1 session on Friday, followed by qualifying for Saturday’s F1 Sprint race.

Nearly every team arrived in Miami with upgrades, testing them during FP1 to gain a competitive edge ahead of the first race since the Japanese Grand Prix. Sprint qualifying is scheduled to start at 4:30 p.m. Eastern Time on Friday.

Provisional Sprint Qualifying Grid

The provisional starting grid for the Sprint race is as follows:

• Row 1: 1, 2
• Row 2: 3, 4
• Row 3: 5, 6
• Row 4: 7, 8
• Row 5: 9, 10
• Row 6: 11, 12
• Row 7: 13, 14
• Row 8: 15, 16
• Row 9: 17, 18
• Row 10: 19, 20
• Row 11: 21, 22

FP1 Highlights: Leclerc Tops Session as Mercedes Struggles

FP1 delivered several surprises, with Charles Leclerc of Ferrari leading the timing sheets ahead of Max Verstappen, the four-time Drivers’ Champion. Mercedes’ Kimi Antonelli and George Russell faced setbacks, with Antonelli unable to complete a representative lap on soft tires due to a power unit issue on his W17. Russell also reported “noises” with his power unit, finishing the session in sixth place.

Leclerc’s strong performance marked a shift from the dominance Mercedes had shown in the first three races of the season. The session also saw both Ferrari and Red Bull debut a new “Macarena” rear wing design, though Ferrari had not yet used it in a competitive session.

"The Red Bull Macarena wing in all its glory! 🤩💃🔃
#F1 #MiamiGP"

Here are the full standings from FP1:

"Ferrari's Charles Leclerc tops the FP1 timesheets 👏
The full classification from practice is IN! ⬇️
#F1 #MiamiGP"

Follow live coverage as Sprint qualifying gets underway at 4:30 p.m. ET on Friday.