F1 Miami GP live commentary and updates - qualifying
Follow along for updates from Formula 1's Miami Grand Prix qualifying
Live Standings
Live Text
Perez and Bottas get into the 1m32s, as do the Aston Martins - Perez had a snap through the final couple of corners.
Bearman opens his account with a 1m30.203s, Ocon was half a second off, and then Verstappen posts a 1m29.099s. Leclerc only manages a 1m29.436s, with a difficult middle sector.
It's hot in Miami - 34C ambient, 52C track temperatures. The Cadillacs open their first laps of the session, but those rear tyres are going to wilt in this heat.
Hulkenberg indeed is on-track, so Audi will get something out of this session. A fraught weekend so far, much for new racing director Allan McNish to sort out.
Miami Q1 begins!
Here we go: Bottas, Perez, Bearman, Lindblad, and Stroll are out of the pitlane first.
Bortoleto's going nowhere after he was disqualified from the sprint - Audi needs to investigate the problem. Hulkenberg, who had an engine failure before the sprint, should be okay.
Just a couple of minutes to go now - 18 minutes of Q1 coming your way!
It shouldn't be too much of a scrum at the pit exit, but let's see...
10 minutes to F1 qualifying
Valtteri Bottas, Cadillac Racing
Photo by: Alastair Staley / LAT Images via Getty Images
30 minutes klaxon!
Just half an hour until qualifying in Miami opens for business.
Now's the time to get settled in for the evening with a cuppa and watch the action unfold. Or, as it's Saturday night, scan through this while you're at the pub after paying £7 for terrible lager...
Stewards' report from Bortoleto's sprint disqualification
Here's what the stewards said about Bortoleto's car:
"The Stewards reviewed the report received from the Technical Delegate and found that the requirement was for the engine intake air pressure to be less than 4.8 bar at all times. The pressure was measured by two FIA approved devices that were installed in FIA approved locations situated in the engine intake air system downstream of the charge air cooling system.
"The Stewards heard from the team representatives of Car 5. They admitted that the Technical Delegate’s finding was correct. However, in mitigation, they explained that this happened over one lap, when the temperatures rose higher than they had expected. As soon as that became apparent, they took steps to bring the pressure back in line with the regulations. While the fact that they took steps to bring the car back in compliance is recognized, the regulations make it clear that the car needs to be in compliance ‘at all times’, which it was not.
"Given that this is a technical infringement, the usual penalty of a disqualification of Car 5 from the Sprint classification was applied."
Bortoleto disqualified from Miami sprint
Audi's miserable sprint afternoon continues; after Nico Hulkenberg's engine caught fire before the start of the sprint race, Gabriel Bortoleto will also lose his 11th place finish.
During scrutineering, the Audi's intake pressure was found to be above the 4.8bar limit, and thus was not in compliance with the rule.
Gabriel Bortoleto, Audi F1 Team
Photo by: Sam Bagnall / Sutton Images via Getty Images
Miami - sprint race recap
Lando Norris claimed McLaren’s first victory of the 2026 Formula 1 season by winning the Miami Grand Prix sprint race in a 1-2 for the defending constructors’ champions.
The reigning drivers’ world champion finished 3.7s clear of team-mate Oscar Piastri, with Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc completing the podium after the 19-lap contest around Hard Rock Stadium.
F1 Miami GP: Norris leads dominant McLaren 1-2 in sprint race
Lando Norris took McLaren's first win in the 2026 F1 campaign aboard a heavily upgraded MCL40
Miami Grand Prix qualifying - coming soon!
And, we're back! More action beckons - if the sprint race wasn't enough excitement (which, let's be honest, it probably wasn't) then we've got qualifying to follow!
With parc ferme reopened, there's ample opportunity for the teams to make tweaks now that they've got a full 19 laps of racing under their belts. Can McLaren hang onto its lead through the weekend so far, or can Mercedes or Ferrari hit back?
Charles Leclerc, Ferrari, Oscar Piastri, McLaren, George Russell, Mercedes
Photo by: Andy Hone/ LAT Images via Getty Images
