Miami Sprint race: Ferrari fight back with Charles Leclerc podium amid McLaren dominance

Ferrari SF-26 tire, garage, mechanics, 2026 F1

The Miami Grand Prix hosts the second Sprint race of the 2026 season. On Friday evening, Sprint Qualifying produced a significant shake-up in the order, with McLaren emerging as the benchmark team of the session.

In particular, it was Lando Norris who impressed, securing a surprising pole position and confirming the strength of McLaren’s latest “papaya” upgrades. Alongside him on the front row was championship leader Kimi Antonelli. Further back, Ferrari faced a tougher session, with Charles Leclerc qualifying fourth, nearly four-tenths behind Norris, while Lewis Hamilton only managed seventh place, almost eight-tenths off pole.

Miami GP sprint race: the race story

Before diving into the Sprint race action, the weather conditions at Miami were notably demanding. Air temperature stood at 32 degrees Celsius, with humidity at 53%, while the track temperature rose to 47 degrees.

The race consisted of 19 laps around the Hard Rock Stadium circuit, with most of the grid starting on the medium compound tyre. Exceptions included the two Cadillac cars, both starting on the hard tyre, and the two Aston Martin drivers opting for the soft compound. Arvid Lindblad started from the pit lane, while Nico Hülkenberg did not take the start due to engine issues during the formation lap.

The lights went out at 18:00 Italian time, with both McLarens getting off the line strongly, led by Norris. Kimi Antonelli once again struggled at the start, allowing Charles Leclerc to move ahead and take third place. In contrast to the Italian driver, George Russell made a strong getaway, overtaking Max Verstappen, who appeared to be in slight difficulty.

Ferrari immediately showed a straight-line speed deficit, with Leclerc dropping back and chasing Oscar Piastri at a gap of 1.8 seconds. Antonelli attempted to retake the position from Leclerc but misjudged his braking into the final straight and was forced onto the dirty side of the track at Turn 11, losing a potential opportunity and allowing his teammate to close in. The gap between the two dropped to 0.7 seconds. Behind them, Lewis Hamilton tried to join the fight and capitalise on the Mercedes battle.

Arvid Lindblad’s non-start due to technical issues with his Racing Bulls car was also confirmed early in the race.

Antonelli ran wide between Turns 14 and 15, an error that allowed George Russell to complete an overtake into Turn 17. By lap 8, the race intensified again, with the Mercedes internal battle developing and Verstappen managing to pass Hamilton, forcing him to the outside. However, the move was deemed marginal, and Verstappen was instructed to give the position back. The duel did not end there, as Max Verstappen overtook the seven-time world champion again at the end of the main straight on lap 10.

At mid-race distance, McLaren continued to lead the field with Norris ahead, holding a 2.8-second advantage over teammate Piastri. Leclerc remained in third place, followed by Antonelli, Russell, Verstappen, and Hamilton completing the top seven. Antonelli also received his third warning for track limits; a fourth would have resulted in a penalty.

On lap 12, Leclerc closed in on Piastri, reducing the gap to 0.9 seconds. Both Ferrari and McLaren had introduced upgrades for this weekend, which appeared to be broadly working as expected. Leclerc’s pace looked strong, especially in the technical sections, although he remained unable to match Mercedes power unit advantage on the long straights.

Ultimately, the second Sprint race of the 2026 season ended with a McLaren 1-2 finish: Lando Norris first, Oscar Piastri second, and Charles Leclerc completing the podium in third place.