Leclerc on top for Ferrari ahead of Verstappen and Piastri

MIAMI: Charles Leclerc topped the times for Ferrari ahead of Red Bull’s revitalized four-time champion Max Verstappen and McLaren’s Oscar Piastri in Friday’s sole practice session at the Miami Grand Prix.
The Monegasque driver clocked a best time in one minute and 29.310 seconds to outpace his Dutch rival by 0.164 seconds and finish four-tenths clear of Piastri as championship leaders Mercedes were pushed aside.
Seven-time champion Lewis Hamilton was fourth in the second Ferrari ahead of Italian teenager Kimi Antonelli of Mercedes, the youngest leader of the title race in F1 history, with George Russell sixth in the second Mercedes.
World champion Lando Norris was seventh in the second McLaren ahead of Alpine’s Pierre Gasly, Isack Hadjar in the second Red Bull and Carlos Sainz of Williams as the teams with most upgrades appeared to gain from their improvements.
Mercedes, with no significant changes to the cars that had won the first three races before the cancelations of events in Bahrain and Saudi Arabia, were unable to exert their usual authority.
After a five-week hiatus due to the conflict in the Middle East, Sainz was the first man out ahead of the two Ferraris, all of them seeking early feedback on their extensive upgrades on a warm morning in the Sunshine State.

- Engine rules issues -

It had emerged overnight that F1’s engine rules for 2027 were expected to be decided within two weeks and ahead of the Canadian Grand Prix, introducing speculation about a move away from 50/50 to a 60/40 split between engine and electrical power.
This was an issue sure to provoke more discussion and perhaps decide the futures of some drivers, including four-time champion Max Verstappen and two-time champion Fernando Alonso.
Verst