F1 qualifying LIVE: Miami Grand Prix results and grid positions as Charles Leclerc takes pole

Charles Leclerc put his Ferrari on pole position for the inaugural Miami Grand Prix as F1 hit Florida with qualifying on Saturday. The championship leader kept his cool in the searing 33 degree heat, with Carlos Sainz completing an all-Ferrari front row.

Max Verstappen blew his chances of claiming his second pole in as many grands prix when he made a mistake on his final run. “I f***** it,” said the world champion over the radio. Lewis Hamilton qualified sixth in his Mercedes.

Verstappen got his title defence back on track following a dominant performance in Imola a fortnight ago and the Red Bull star looked set to start Sunday’s race in the box seat to eat into Leclerc’s 27-point advantage at the top of the standings. But he will now be on the back foot after he ran wide in the first sector of his final roll of the dice in qualifying.

Leclerc improved to take pole with his last lap – the perfect tonic for his spin in Imola which dropped him from third to sixth – while Sainz also leapfrogged Verstappen. However, despite setting the fastest lap time in FP2 on Friday, George Russell blundered in Q2 of qualifying, running wide on his first run before lapping only good enough for 12th in his Mercedes.

Follow live coverage from qualifying at the F1 Miami Grand Prix below:

Miami Grand Prix qualifying

• Leclerc takes pole for the Miami Grand Prix

• Sainz ensures Ferrari lock out the front row of the grid by securing P2

• Both Red Bulls on the second row - Verstappen P3 and Perez P4

• Hamilton qualifies in P6 but Russell is only P12 after exiting in Q2

• ELIMINATED in Q2! 11. Alonso 12. Russell 13. Vettel 14. Ricciardo 15. Schumacher

• ELIMINATED in Q1! 16. Magnussen 17. Zhou 18. Albon 19. Latifi 20. Ocon

• Ocon doesn’t take part in qualifying after crash in practice earlier on Saturday

Charles Leclerc claims pole position as Ferrari lock out front row at inaugural Miami Grand Prix

Saturday 7 May 2022 22:31 , Luke Baker

Charles Leclerc put his Ferrari on pole position for the inaugural Miami Grand Prix.

The championship leader kept his cool in the searing 33 degree heat, with Carlos Sainz completing a Ferrari front row.

Max Verstappen blew his chances of claiming his second pole in as many grands prix when he made a mistake on his final run.

“I f***** it,” said the world champion over the radio. Lewis Hamilton qualified sixth.

Charles Leclerc claims pole as Ferrari lock out front row at Miami Grand Prix

Miami Grand Prix qualifying: Verstappen finishes third

Saturday 7 May 2022 22:25 , Dylan Terry

Max Verstappen remains upbeat despite only managing third in qualifying.

The reigning world champion said: “Overall I am pretty pleased with qualifying. Literally I did four or five laps yesterday so today I was still trying to learn the track and trying to find a decent balance in the car. To be that competitive in qualifying, I was a bit surprised.

“This is not an easy track to learn. Of course you want to be on pole, but where we came from I think we did a really good job. We have to start making the weekends a little less difficult.

“We have a good chance tomorrow. We have a bit of speed. The car is handling quite well. I’m looking forward to that.”

Miami Grand Prix qualifying: Ferrari secure front row lockout

Saturday 7 May 2022 22:20 , Dylan Terry

Carlos Sainz has given his thoughts after clinching second on the grid ahead of the race tomorrow.

Sainz said: “I recovered a bit from a pretty heavy crash yesterday. It wasn’t easy at all to get the confidence back at a difficult circuit like this at Miami but I kept it cool until Q3.

“I managed to pull out a couple of good laps, not quite enough for pole position, but given from where I was coming from I will take it.

“Tomorrow it is going to be an interesting day with everything that is going on this weekend.

“I haven’t done any long runs yet with fuel on the car and tried it so tomorrow will be the first time to have a feel.

“So it will be quite challenging but at the same time I am feeling confident with the car, the car is really good to drive around here so I think we can do a good job.”

Miami Grand Prix qualifying: Leclerc takes pole

Saturday 7 May 2022 22:15 , Dylan Terry

Charles Leclerc has given his reaction the Miami Grand Prix qualifying after securing pole position for Ferrari.

He told Sky Sports: “Last weekend wasn’t great for me. I made a mistake in the race, but today went well. We are starting on pole and we need to finish the job tomorrow.

“Red Bull are extremely quick in the straight lines. We are quick in the corners. It will be a tight challenge tomorrow.”

Miami Grand Prix qualifying: Leclerc takes pole

Saturday 7 May 2022 22:10 , Dylan Terry

Here are the gaps between the cars at the end of Q3. Very close between the Ferraris and Red Bulls. The rest playing catch-up behind.

1. Charles Leclerc (1:28:796)

2. Carlos Sainz (+0.190)

3. Max Verstappen (+0.195)

4. Sergio Perez (+0.240)

5. Valtteri Bottas (+0.679)

6. Lewis Hamilton (+0.829)

7. Pierre Gasly (+0.894)

8. Lando Norris (+0.954)

9. Yuki Tsunoda (+1.136)

10. Lance Stroll (+1.880)

Miami Grand Prix qualifying

Saturday 7 May 2022 22:04 , Dylan Terry

So it’s a one-two for Ferrari! Superb drives from Charles Leclerc and Carlos Sainz as they lock out the front row.

The two Red Bulls are behind them as Max Verstappen has to settle for third, with Sergio Perez in fourth.

Valtteri Bottas with a breathtaking fifth in the Alfa Romeo ahead of Lewis Hamilton.

Pierre Gasly comes next, followed by Lando Norris, Yuki Tsunoda and Lance Stroll.

Miami Grand Prix qualifying: End of Q3

Saturday 7 May 2022 22:03 , Dylan Terry

Max Verstappen after backing off on that final lap: “I f****d it.” Clearly not a reliability issue then.

Miami Grand Prix qualifying: End of Q3

Saturday 7 May 2022 22:02 , Dylan Terry

1. Charles Leclerc

2. Carlos Sainz

3. Max Verstappen

4. Sergio Perez

5. Valtteri Bottas

6. Lewis Hamilton

7. Pierre Gasly

8. Lando Norris

9. Yuki Tsunoda

10. Lance Stroll

Miami Grand Prix qualifying

Saturday 7 May 2022 22:01 , Dylan Terry

Charles Leclerc goes on provisional pole as he shaves two tenths off Verstappen.

Sainz goes one-two for Ferrari!

Verstappen has backed off here! He has not posted a flying lap.

Miami Grand Prix qualifying

Saturday 7 May 2022 22:00 , Dylan Terry

1 minute remaining: This is also the first Q3 of the season where Lewis Hamilton is competing without Mercedes teammate George Russell.

Can the seven-time champion produce something special to put his Silver Arrow high up on the grid? We are heading towards the chequered flag here.

Miami Grand Prix qualifying

Saturday 7 May 2022 21:58 , Dylan Terry

2 minutes remaining: So the cars are back out on the track and are being led by the leader of the championship in Charles Leclerc. What can the Monegasque driver conjure up here?

All set for a grand finale in qualifying here.

Miami Grand Prix qualifying

Saturday 7 May 2022 21:57 , Dylan Terry

3 minutes remaining: Here is how things stand ahead of each driver’s final stint in Q3.

1. Max Verstappen

2. Charles Leclerc

3. Carlos Sainz

4. Sergio Perez

5. Valtteri Bottas

6. Lewis Hamilton

7. Lando Norris

8. Yuki Tsunoda

9. Lance Stroll

10. Pierre Gasly

Miami Grand Prix qualifying

Saturday 7 May 2022 21:56 , Dylan Terry

4 minutes remaining: A few of the drivers return to the pits as the rest of them go on out laps.

Worth saying that outside of the Ferraris and Red Bulls, Valtteri Bottas is leading the way in fifth place with a few minutes remaining here!

Some drive from Bottas, particularly when you consider his teammate Guanyu Zhou was eliminated in Q1.

Miami Grand Prix qualifying

Saturday 7 May 2022 21:54 , Dylan Terry

6 minutes remaining: Max Verstappen is the first driver into the 1.28s as he posts the fastest time to snatch provisional pole!

Sergio Perez is next up as he goes fourth. Bottas is fifth ahead of former Mercedes teammate Lewis Hamilton.

Then come Norris, Tsunoda, Stroll and Gasly.

Still six minutes remaining. Long way to go.

Miami Grand Prix qualifying

Saturday 7 May 2022 21:52 , Dylan Terry

8 minutes remaining: Charles Leclerc is the first of the big hitters to post a time as he sets off just in front of teammate Carlos Sainz.

Here comes the leader of the drivers’ championship...1.29.0. Sainz then goes a couple of hundredths slower than him.

Miami Grand Prix qualifying

Saturday 7 May 2022 21:51 , Dylan Terry

10 minutes remaining: So we are straight into Q3. Who will secure pole position? Here are the drivers contesting it.

1. Charles Leclerc

2. Max Verstappen

3. Lando Norris

4. Sergio Perez

5. Carlos Sainz

6. Valtteri Bottas

7. Lewis Hamilton

8. Lance Stroll

9. Yuki Tsunoda

10. Pierre Gasly

Miami Grand Prix qualifying: End of Q2

Saturday 7 May 2022 21:47 , Dylan Terry

Here are the full Q2 results. In bold are those eliminated in Q2.

1. Charles Leclerc

2. Max Verstappen

3. Lando Norris

4. Sergio Perez

5. Carlos Sainz

6. Valtteri Bottas

7. Lewis Hamilton

8. Lance Stroll

9. Yuki YTsunoda

10. Pierre Gasly

11. Fernando Alonso

12. George Russell

13. Sebastian Vettel

14. Daniel Ricciardo

15. Mick Schumacher

Miami Grand Prix qualifying: End of Q2

Saturday 7 May 2022 21:43 , Dylan Terry

So here are the drivers eliminated in Q2.

11) Fernando Alonso (Alpine)

12) George Russell (Mercedes)

13) Sebastian Vettel (Aston-Martin)

14) Daniel Ricciardo (McLaren)

15) Mick Schumacher (Haas)

Miami Grand Prix qualifying

Saturday 7 May 2022 21:42 , Dylan Terry

Ricciardo doesn’t manage to make it through to Q3 as he can only post a time good enough for P14!

Meanwhile, Russell is out! He was back in the pits already. Nightmare for Mercedes.

Miami Grand Prix qualifying

Saturday 7 May 2022 21:41 , Dylan Terry

Norris goes third fastest and Russell is in big trouble again as he drops to 12th!

Alonso misses out. He can only manage 11th with his final lap of the session.

Miami Grand Prix qualifying

Saturday 7 May 2022 21:40 , Dylan Terry

Vettel goes eighth. That’s the chequered flag but we still have a few more drivers.

Stroll goes sixth as Bottas goes fifth!

Miami Grand Prix qualifying

Saturday 7 May 2022 21:39 , Dylan Terry

1 minute remaining: So Norris, Stroll, Schumacher, Vettel and Ricciardo are in trouble. Heading towards the final minute, can any of them get themselves out of this?

Miami Grand Prix qualifying

Saturday 7 May 2022 21:38 , Dylan Terry

3 minutes remaining: Here comes Russell with his first meaningful lap... he goes up to seventh! Mercedes can breathe a sigh of relief.

The two McLarens of Norris and Ricciardo both in danger here.

Miami Grand Prix qualifying

Saturday 7 May 2022 21:36 , Dylan Terry

5 minutes remaining: George Russell is not happy with his car at all. He loses grip going through an apex and Toto Wolff is furious as he watches on.

Still no time set by the Brit. He is the only driver of the 15 yet to post one with five minutes left on the clock.

Miami Grand Prix qualifying

Saturday 7 May 2022 21:34 , Dylan Terry

7 minutes remaining: George Russell is back out on track so if he did have an issue then it was a very quick repair job.

Stroll, Schumacher, Vettel, Ricciardo and Russell currently occupy the elimination spots with half the time already gone.

Miami Grand Prix qualifying

Saturday 7 May 2022 21:32 , Dylan Terry

8 minutes remaining: Alonso, Stroll, Tsunoda, Russell, Vettel and Gasly are the drivers who are yet to post a time.

Miami Grand Prix qualifying

Saturday 7 May 2022 21:32 , Dylan Terry

9 minutes remaining: George Russell has returned to the pits here without posting a time. Is there an issue?

Meanwhile, Max Verstappen goes fastest and his teammate Sergio Perez joins him on the provisional front row.

Lewis Hamilton goes into the 1.29s as he begins to find his feet in this qualifying session.

Miami Grand Prix qualifying

Saturday 7 May 2022 21:30 , Dylan Terry

11 minutes remaining: A bunch of teams took a couple of out laps there before deciding to post a serious time.

Charles Leclerc is first to do so as he posts a 1.29.7 and then his teammate Carlos Sainz goes a few hundredths of a second quicker.

Miami Grand Prix qualifying

Saturday 7 May 2022 21:28 , Dylan Terry

14 minutes remaining: The Ferraris are straight out to post times here. And the Red Bulls follow suit.

It definitely feels as though these two are going to be contesting pole position yet again.

Miami Grand Prix qualifying

Saturday 7 May 2022 21:26 , Dylan Terry

Q2 coming up people. No huge shocks in Q1 bu Magnussen and Zhou will be left feeling thoroughly disappointed about their performances.

Any shocks in Q2? Here we go then...

Miami Grand Prix qualifying

Saturday 7 May 2022 21:25 , Dylan Terry

Q1 results are as follows. Those in bold have been eliminated ahead of Q2.

Valtteri Bottas somehow made it out of Q1!

1. Charles Leclerc

2. Max Verstappen

3. Sergio Perez

4. Carlos Sainz

5. Lewis Hamilton

6. Fernando Alonso

7. Lance Stroll

8. Yuki Tsunoda

9. George Russell

10. Daniel Ricciardo

11. Mick Schumacher

12. Sebastian Vettel

13. Lando Norris

14. Pierre Gasly

15. Valtteri Bottas

16. Kevin Magnussen

17. Guanyu Zhou

18. Alex Albon

19. Nicholas Latifi

20. Esteban Ocon (played no part)

Miami Grand Prix qualifying: End of Q1

Saturday 7 May 2022 21:22 , Dylan Terry

That’s the end of Q1!

Kevin Magnussen, Guanyu Zhou, Alex Albon, Nicholas Latifi and Esteban Ocon are the drivers who have been dumped out and will play not part in Q2.

Miami Grand Prix qualifying

Saturday 7 May 2022 21:21 , Dylan Terry

Alonso goes all the way up to sixth with his final lap so he is safe.

Pierre Gasly and Lando Norris now in 14th and 15th respectively with a handful of cars left.

Miami Grand Prix qualifying

Saturday 7 May 2022 21:20 , Dylan Terry

Last chance saloon for some of these drivers now! Sebastian Vettel is in danger down in 15th.

Fernando Alonso going out of Q1 as it stands.

Miami Grand Prix qualifying

Saturday 7 May 2022 21:18 , Dylan Terry

1 minute remaining: Lewis Hamilton avoids dropping out of Q1 as he posts a decent time to go fifth fastest. Good job from the Brit.

Fernando Alonso now in danger of a Q1 exit.

Miami Grand Prix qualifying

Saturday 7 May 2022 21:17 , Dylan Terry

2 minutes remaining: Tsunoda is up to fifth with a brilliant lap.

Alonso is in danger down in 15th place. Hamilton now all the way back in 18th.

Miami Grand Prix qualifying

Saturday 7 May 2022 21:16 , Dylan Terry

3 minutes remaining: Lewis Hamilton has come into the pits but it’s a quick stop and he is back out. Not sure what that was all about.

Daniel Ricciardo is up to fifth behind the Ferraris and Red Bulls.

The rest of the top 10 places are occupied by Stroll, Norris, Russell, Bottas and Vettel.

Miami Grand Prix qualifying

Saturday 7 May 2022 21:14 , Dylan Terry

4 minutes remaining: Fernando Alonso grazes the wall! And Lewis Hamilton goes off track!

The seven-time champion has had a bit of a nightmare out there so far.

Hamilton’s teammate George Russell is up in eighth as we head into the final few minutes of Q1

Miami Grand Prix qualifying

Saturday 7 May 2022 21:13 , Dylan Terry

6 minutes remaining: Charles Leclerc goes quickest! What a lap from Leclerc as he posts a 1.29.4.

Verstappen is now second, with Sainz third and Perez fourth.

In danger at the moment are Lewis Hamilton, Pierre Gasly, Nicholas Latifi, Alex Albon and Esteban Ocon.

Hamilton down in 16th!

Miami Grand Prix qualifying

Saturday 7 May 2022 21:11 , Dylan Terry

8 minutes remaining: Guanyu Zhou goes fifth fastest! Very impressive from the man enjoying his first season in F1.

He is followed by Daniel Ricciardo, Charles Leclerc, Fernando Alonso and Mick Schumacher.

Alonso was straight into the top 10 on his first run. He is getting the best out of that Alpine.

Miami Grand Prix qualifying

Saturday 7 May 2022 21:09 , Dylan Terry

10 minutes remaining: Fernando Alonso and Valtteri Bottas are the only drivers of the 19 who are yet to post a time.

A reminder that Esteban Ocon is not taking part in qualifying due to his crash so he will start 20th tomorrow.

Miami Grand Prix qualifying

Saturday 7 May 2022 21:08 , Dylan Terry

11 minutes remaining: Max Verstappen goes fastest with a 130.2 and Sergio Perez moves into second, although he is a whole half second slower than his teammate.

George Russell then sets the third fastest time as he misses out on leapfrogging Perez by just three hundredths of a second.

Miami Grand Prix qualifying

Saturday 7 May 2022 21:06 , Dylan Terry

12 minutes remaining: Carlos Sainz is the first driver to go into the 1.30 mark as he posts a 1.30.8 in his Ferrari.

But here come Max Verstappen and Sergio Perez. Can the Red Bull drivers lay down a marker for the rest of the grid?

Miami Grand Prix qualifying

Saturday 7 May 2022 21:05 , Dylan Terry

14 minutes remaining: Alex Albon posts the first time of qualifying and it is a 1.32.4.

Sebastian Vettel quickly betters that, before Yuki Tsunoda and Lance Stroll improve on it further.

Miami Grand Prix qualifying

Saturday 7 May 2022 21:02 , Dylan Terry

16 minutes remaining: A few cars have headed straight out onto the track as soon as they possibly could.

Among them are Vettel, Schumacher, Sainz, Leclerc and Magnussen.

Miami Grand Prix qualifying

Saturday 7 May 2022 21:01 , Dylan Terry

18 minutes remaining: We are underway with the first ever qualifying session at the Miami Grand Prix.

Miami Grand Prix qualifying

Saturday 7 May 2022 21:00 , Dylan Terry

Here we go then. Q1 is about to get underway as the American fans come out in their droves for a highly-anticipated qualifying session.

Miami Grand Prix qualifying

Saturday 7 May 2022 20:58 , Dylan Terry

Just before we get down to business with the on-track action, it’s worth pointing out that the Miami Grand Prix is very much a hotbed for famous faces coming out for the F1.

But who? Well here is just a few of the celebrities which have already been spotted.

James Corden, Michelle Obama, Michael Douglas, George Lucas, Caitlyn Jenner.

It would be an interesting dinner party list, let’s put it that way.

Miami Grand Prix qualifying

Saturday 7 May 2022 20:55 , Dylan Terry

This is your five-minute warning then.

Qualifying kicks off at 9pm BST, with Q1 seeing the places from 16th to 20th decided. Q2 will then determine 11th to 15th, before Q3 decides 1st to 10th for the grid tomorrow.

Ready?

Saturday 7 May 2022 20:51 , Dylan Terry

A reminder that this is the first ever Miami Grand Prix. So, with that in mind, we will have a lap record at the end of qualifying.

And then, most likely, another one tomorrow during the race itself. But who will leave the east coast of America with the new lap record?

Something to keep an eye on.

Miami Grand Prix qualifying

Saturday 7 May 2022 20:46 , Dylan Terry

So Sergio Perez topped the final practice session and Red Bull teammate Max Verstappen finished up in third.

Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc came second but the other Scuderia driven by Carlos Sainz could only manage seventh place.

Below them were a few surprises as Fernando Alonso, Sebastian Vettel and Mick Schumacher secured the positions from fourth to sixth.

Mercedes were all the way down in 15th and 17th, but can they resurrect the form they showed in FP2 for qualifying?

Not long until we find out.

Chadwick wins W Series opener

Saturday 7 May 2022 20:41 , Dylan Terry

In other news, Jamie Chadwick has won the first W Series race of the 2022 season which is taking place at the Miami circuit this weekend.

It was a close run race, but the two-time champion eventually clinched the victory as she seeks a third title.

Chadwick won the W Series in 2019 and 2021.

Miami Grand Prix qualifying

Saturday 7 May 2022 20:36 , Dylan Terry

F1 pundit Martin Brundle insists the drivers are going to have to be at the top of their game to avoid crashing during qualifying.

Speaking on Sky Sports, he said: "I am really enjoying all the hype and the excitement but I want to see some cars qualifying now, I am ready.

"It is going to be a challenge. The drivers have to be fast and accurate otherwise they are in the wall.

"I am ready for that now, I am kind of over that excitement and ready for this."

Ocon will not contest qualifying after crash

Saturday 7 May 2022 20:31 , Dylan Terry

Esteban Ocon has reacted to his crash in the final practice session which saw him sit out the remaining 45 minutes.

He has also revealed he will play no part in qualifying. So we already know who will start at the back of the grid.

The Alpine driver took to Twitter to say: That was a big one but I am ok.

“A cracked chassis means I won’t be able to take part in Quali today. Absolutely gutted but full send for tomorrow. Allez Alpine.”

Miami Grand Prix Saturday practice final leaderboard

Saturday 7 May 2022 20:23 , Luke Baker

Here is a reminder of the final leaderboard then at the end of the third and final practice session at the Miami Grand Prix! Sergio Perez impressed in his Red Bull, while Charles Leclerc managed to edge in front of Max Verstappen at the end.

Questions for the Mercedes though as they struggled badly

1. Sergio Perez

2. Charles Leclerc

3. Max Verstappen

4. Fernando Alonso

5. Sebastian Vettel

6. Mick Schumacher

7. Carlos Sainz

8. Kevin Magnussen

9. Alex Albon

10. Lando Norris

11. Yuki Tsunoda

12. Lance Stroll

13. Daniel Ricciardo

14. Valtteri Bottas

15. Lewis Hamilton

16. Pierre Gasly

17. George Russell

18. Guanyu Zhou

19. Nicholas Latifi

20. Esteban Ocon

Esteban Ocon crashes into the wall

Saturday 7 May 2022 20:16 , Luke Baker

Esteban Ocon was less fortunate however... Here’s how his FP3 ended and you wonder if the Alpine will be ready from qualifying at 9pm BST?

Max Verstappen’s narrow escape

Saturday 7 May 2022 20:08 , Luke Baker

Max Verstappen had a narrow escape at the end of FP3. He and his Red Bull should be fine for qualifying

Perez tops leaderboard in FP3

Saturday 7 May 2022 20:00 , Dylan Terry

Red Bull and Ferrari have shared two victories each so far this season and are separated by just 11 points in the constructors championship.

But Charles Leclerc holds a significant 27-point advantage over Max Verstappen in the drivers standings and Red Bull will be keen to do something about that this weekend.

But can Christian Horner and Co secure pole ahead of the Scuderia? Will anyone else have a say in securing a place on the front row? We are just an hour away from finding out.

Perez tops leaderboard in FP3

Saturday 7 May 2022 19:50 , Dylan Terry

So it’s a one-three for Red Bull in FP3 as they look to secure back-to-back victories for the first time this season in Miami.

Sergio Perez produced a wonderful lap to top the leaderboard, with Charles Leclerc in second and Max Verstappen in third.

Qualifying is just over one hour away. Who are you backing?

Miami Grand Prix Saturday practice

Saturday 7 May 2022 19:40 , Dylan Terry

Jenson Button is a bit confused as to George Russell’s huge drop off in FP3.

Remember, Russell guided his Mercedes car to the top of the leaderboard in the second practice session. But he has just finished 17th in FP3.

Button told Sky Sports: “It’s strange how the car looks like it did for the first four races of the year. It doesn’t look like what we had yesterday.

“It’s quite unusual. The circuit is very different, it’s windier today. They did go out when it was hotter and then when it cooled down they didn’t run.”

Miami Grand Prix Saturday practice final leaderboard

Saturday 7 May 2022 19:30 , Dylan Terry

Here is the moment that reigning world champion Max Verstappen almost went into the wall inside the final few minutes of FP3!

He did well to put on the brakes quickly enough to prevent the impact with the wall. Could have ended far, far worse.

Miami Grand Prix Saturday practice

Saturday 7 May 2022 19:20 , Dylan Terry

Pierre Gasly describing the porpoising in his AlphaTauri as it ‘bouncing around like a kangaroo’. Not ideal for the Frenchman. He could only manage 16th in that final practice session.

Perez tops leaderboard in FP3

Saturday 7 May 2022 19:13 , Dylan Terry

So then, it’s Sergio Perez and not Max Verstappen who leads the way for Red Bull at the end of the third practice session.

Charles Leclerc finishes second, with reigning world champion Verstappen in third. Fernando Alonso, Sebastian Vettel, Mick Schumacher, Carlos Sainz, Kevin Magnussen, Alex Albon and Lando Norris also managed a top 10 finish.

Mercedes’ problems look to have returned as Lewis Hamilton could only manage 15th, with George Russell even further down in 17th place.

Can they improve in qualifying? That takes place at 9pm BST.

Miami Grand Prix Saturday practice final leaderboard

Saturday 7 May 2022 19:03 , Dylan Terry

Here is the final leaderboard then at the end of the third and final practice session at the Miami Grand Prix! Charles Leclerc managed to edge in front of Max Verstappen at the end.

1. Sergio Perez

2. Charles Leclerc

3. Max Verstappen

4. Fernando Alonso

5. Sebastian Vettel

6. Mick Schumacher

7. Carlos Sainz

8. Kevin Magnussen

9. Alex Albon

10. Lando Norris

11. Yuki Tsunoda

12. Lance Stroll

13. Daniel Ricciardo

14. Valtteri Bottas

15. Lewis Hamilton

16. Pierre Gasly

17. George Russell

18. Guanyu Zhou

19. Nicholas Latifi

20. Esteban Ocon

Miami Grand Prix Saturday practice

Saturday 7 May 2022 18:59 , Dylan Terry

1 minute remaining: OH HANG ON THOUGH! Max Verstappen is extremely lucky to avoid hitting the wall as he spins out at one of the apexes! The reigning world champion hits the curb but manages to get on the brakes quickly enough to avoid shunting the car!

The mechanics will be breathing a sigh of relief there!

Miami Grand Prix Saturday practice

Saturday 7 May 2022 18:58 , Dylan Terry

2 minutes remaining: Sergio Perez returns to the top of the standings in the closing stages here! He has gone three tenths quicker than fellow Red Bull Max Verstappen.

Sebastian Vettel is up to fourth in his Aston Martin - either side of the two Ferraris.

Session ending very shortly. I will bring you a full leaderboard as soon as the clock ticks to zero.

Miami Grand Prix Saturday practice

Saturday 7 May 2022 18:56 , Dylan Terry

4 minutes remaining: George Russell tells his Mercedes team radio that ‘the tyres are nowhere’ as the Silver Arrows begin to fall down the order a little.

Lewis Hamilton is down in 14th and George Russell is even further behind in 16th. That is a real return to disappointment after a promising Friday for the reigning constructors champions.

Russell is clearly struggling with some awful porpoising. Imagine it’s similar for Hamilton too.

Miami Grand Prix Saturday practice

Saturday 7 May 2022 18:54 , Dylan Terry

6 minutes remaining: Here come the McLarens! We have barely talked about them at all in this session but Lando Norris and Daniel Ricciardo have officially arrived in Miami on Saturday.

Ricciardo gets the better of his teammate on this occasion as he moves up to fourth and Norris has to settle for sixth. Impressive from the orange cars though.

Fernando Alonso then edges above Ricciardo and into fourth, with Alex Albon impressively moving up to sixth.

Not long remaining.

Miami Grand Prix Saturday practice

Saturday 7 May 2022 18:51 , Dylan Terry

9 minutes remaining: Perez goes fastest but then Verstappen responds! Wow, did not see that coming as we head inside the final 10 minutes of this session.

Red Bull have now posted the best two times of this session, with Verstappen pipping his teammate by five one hundredths.

Lewis Hamilton is up to fifth, with Russell down in seventh.

Miami Grand Prix Saturday practice

Saturday 7 May 2022 18:49 , Dylan Terry

12 minutes remaining: So, can Max Verstappen respond to Charles Leclerc’s time of 1.30.981 as we approach the final stages of this third and final practice session?

The Dutchman will be pleased he has made it through the majority of the session without any issues given his nightmare FP2 yesterday.

But now Red Bull will want to take a psychological advantage into qualifying by finishing top of the FP3 leaderboard. Charles Leclerc currently leads.

Miami Grand Prix Saturday practice

Saturday 7 May 2022 18:45 , Dylan Terry

15 minutes remaining: Charles Leclerc goes back to the top of the leaderboard as he posts a 1.30.981, more than three tenths quicker than Max Verstappen.

Is it going to be Leclerc vs Verstappen for pole position once again later tonight? Looks that way at the moment.

George Russell goes up to fourth just moments after Lewis Hamilton had secured that position. The gap between Russell and Hamilton is three one thousandths of a second!

Miami Grand Prix Saturday practice

Saturday 7 May 2022 18:42 , Dylan Terry

17 minutes remaining: Lando Norris does exceptionally well to avoid going into the wall! He overcooks the corner and then struggles to get grip in his tyres but manages to avoid a collision with the barrier. Impressive escapology from the young Brit.

Pierre Gasly has just moved up to 10th place as he goes nearly two tenths quicker than Guanyu Zhou. That pushes Lewis Hamilton down into 11th.

Miami Grand Prix Saturday practice leaderboard

Saturday 7 May 2022 18:40 , Dylan Terry

So with 20 minutes remaining, here is how the top 10 are looking.

1. Max Verstappen

2. Charles Leclerc

3. Valtteri Bottas

4. Carlos Sainz

5. Fernando Alonso

6. Kevin Magnussen

7. Mick Schumacher

8. George Russell

9. Guanyu Zhou

10. Lewis Hamilton

Miami Grand Prix Saturday practice

Saturday 7 May 2022 18:37 , Dylan Terry

23 minutes remaining: Valtteri Bottas leaps up to third ahead of Carlos Sainz with a sensational lap as he posts a time just half a second off Max Verstappen.

Meanwhile, Mick Schumacher has absorbed something on the track and been forced to return to the pits. He says on team radio that he thinks it was a plastic bag. Hard luck.

Lewis Hamilton down in 10th place now. Tricky session so far for Formula One’s most successful ever driver.

Miami Grand Prix Saturday practice

Saturday 7 May 2022 18:34 , Dylan Terry

26 minutes remaining: All 19 drivers are now out on track, with Esteban Ocon the only absentee following his shunt into the wall.

The top three currently stands at Max Verstappen, Charles Leclerc and Carlos Sainz. The two Mercedes are down in fifth and seventh as Kevin Magnussen leaps up to sixth.

Guanyu Zhou also now into the top 10.

Miami Grand Prix Saturday practice

Saturday 7 May 2022 18:30 , Dylan Terry

30 minutes remaining: So we’re back underway with half of the session remaining! Which teams can make the most of this reduced session?

Almost all of the cars went straight out onto the track due to the 15 minutes worth of red flag.

Miami Grand Prix Saturday practice

Saturday 7 May 2022 18:28 , Dylan Terry

31 minutes remaining: Here is how the crash happened. Ocon just lost the rear of the car and unfortunately couldn’t evade the wall as he span into it.

He is out of the third qualifying session but the other 19 drivers are returning now as the red flag is over!

Good news for all the teams, including Alpine who will now focus all their attention on Fernando Alonso.

Miami Grand Prix Saturday practice

Saturday 7 May 2022 18:25 , Dylan Terry

34 minutes remaining: The damage on Esteban Ocon’s car doesn’t look too serious - you imagine his Alpine team will be able to repair it in time for qualifying at 9pm BST.

Meanwhile, the marshalls are still getting rid of the debris on the track so we still have a red flag.

Hopefully the drivers will be back racing in the next few minutes.

Miami Grand Prix Saturday practice

Saturday 7 May 2022 18:22 , Dylan Terry

39 minutes remaining: So then, here is the top 10 with the red flag still out. Essentially still the same as it was a few moments before that Ocon crash, but with Verstappen leapfrogging Leclerc.

1. Max Verstappen

2. Charles Leclerc

3. Mick Schumacher

4. George Russell

5. Carlos Sainz

6. Lewis Hamilton

7. Valtteri Bottas

8. Pierre Gasly

9. Sergio Perez

10. Yuki Tsunoda

Miami Grand Prix Saturday practice

Saturday 7 May 2022 18:18 , Dylan Terry

42 minutes remaining: Just prior to Ocon going into the wall, Verstappen returned to the top of the leaderboard as he went three tenths quicker than Leclerc.

Magnussen also had a little spin in his Haas car but managed to avoid any damage. The same cannot be said for Ocon.

Looks like the Ferraris and Red Bulls are setting the pace again early on here.

Miami Grand Prix Saturday practice

Saturday 7 May 2022 18:16 , Dylan Terry

45 minutes remaining: RED FLAG! Esteban Ocon has shunted into the wall and we have a red flag.

Ocon has told his team that he is OK, but he has damaged the front end of the car. All the drivers preparing to return to the pit wall then.

The time will continue to tick down as the marshalls sweep the debris off of the circuit.

Miami Grand Prix Saturday practice leaderboard

Saturday 7 May 2022 18:14 , Dylan Terry

So after 15 minutes, here is the top 10 in the third practice session. Still a long way to go obviously, but gives you some sort of idea.

1. Max Verstappen

2. Charles Leclerc

3. Mick Schumacher

4. George Russell

5. Carlos Sainz

6. Lewis Hamilton

7. Valtteri Bottas

8. Pierre Gasly

9. Sergio Perez

10. Yuki Tsunoda

What do you guys make of that? Tweet me @dylanterryjnst and let me know your thoughts.

Miami Grand Prix Saturday practice

Saturday 7 May 2022 18:10 , Dylan Terry

49 minutes remaining: Wow! We just catch a glimpse of Lewis Hamilton as he starts a flying lap and he nearly loses the rear of the car on the first corner! He is clearly still struggling to get to grips with the set-up of the Mercedes.

Latifi, Albon and Zhou currently the only drives yet to come out onto the track.

Meanwhile, Norris has returned to the pits without posting a time. Presumably collecting some data from out laps.

Miami Grand Prix Saturday practice

Saturday 7 May 2022 18:07 , Dylan Terry

52 minutes remaining: Sergio Perez posts a time 1.4 seconds off the pace of his teammate Max Verstappen. Carlos Sainz then moves into an early second place as he goes 0.4 seconds behind Verstappen.

But there’s a new fastest time as Charles Leclerc comes out and immediately hits the ground running with a 1.32.250. Impressive from the drivers’ championship leader.

Lewis Hamilton also now out on track. What can the seven-time champion get out of his car in FP3?

Miami Grand Prix Saturday practice

Saturday 7 May 2022 18:05 , Dylan Terry

55 minutes remaining: Max Verstappen is the first driver to set a time in the third practice session as he posts a 1.34.03.

He has completed a lap! That will be a positive for Red Bull after their treacherous second session with the reigning world champion on Friday. We will need to wait a little longer before we find out whether or not the reliability issues have been fixed.

Pierre Gasly, Fernando Alonso, Lando Norris and Yuki Tsunoda are also now out on track.

Miami Grand Prix Saturday practice

Saturday 7 May 2022 18:02 , Dylan Terry

58 minutes remaining: Right then! Here we go as the time starts and a few of the cars immediately decide to head out onto the track.

Six or seven cars went straight out onto this new Miami GP track as soon as the practice session began. Among them? The two Red Bulls of Max Verstappen and Sergio Perez. Valtteri Bottas, Carlos Sainz, Sebastian Vettel, Esteban Ocon, Daniel Ricciardo, Charles Leclerc and Lance Stroll all also out on track.

Miami Grand Prix Saturday practice

Saturday 7 May 2022 18:00 , Dylan Terry

Right then, we are almost ready for the third and final practice session for the first ever Miami Grand Prix.

How will the 20 drivers and 10 teams fair after an intriguing two sessions on Friday?

Have Red Bull cleared up their reliability issues? Can Mercedes build on their impressive increase in pace? Will Ferrari continue to challenge for pole position?

A lot of questions which the next hour could well give us some of the answers to.

What is the schedule for the Miami Grand Prix weekend?

Saturday 7 May 2022 17:55 , Dylan Terry

Miami Grand Prix weekend (All times BST)

Saturday, May 7

• 6pm: Miami GP Practice Three

• 7.10pm: W Series Race One

• 9pm: Miami GP Qualifying

Sunday, May 8

• 3.20pm: W Series Race Two

• 8.30pm: The Miami Grand Prix

Verstappen suffers in second practice

Saturday 7 May 2022 17:51 , Dylan Terry

Max Verstappen missed the opening chunk of the second practice following a gearbox change, and when he eventually emerged on track, his rear brakes overheated and he was forced to limp back to the pits.

“It’s s***,” said Verstappen on the radio. “I couldn’t f****** steer. I cannot do anything. I’m really sorry.”

Team principal Christian Horner was seen shaking his head on the Red Bull pit wall.

Will the reigning champion have a more reliable car to drive today? He will certainly be hoping so as he looks to cut the 27-point gap to Charles Leclerc at the top of the drivers’ standings.

Hamilton to remove ear piercings for Miami GP

Saturday 7 May 2022 17:46 , Dylan Terry

Lewis Hamilton has bowed to pressure from Formula One’s governing body by removing his ear piercings for the Miami Grand Prix.

Hamilton arrived for Friday’s official press conference wearing a ring on every finger, a series of necklaces, a bracelet, earrings in both lobes and three watches – two on his left wrist and one on his right – in a clear show of defiance against the FIA’s jewellery ban.

The seven-time world champion also indicated he would even be prepared to withdraw from Sunday’s race in protest.

But less than three hours later, and following a series of discussions with the FIA, Hamilton performed a U-turn by agreeing to take out his earrings.

Miami Grand Prix Saturday practice

Saturday 7 May 2022 17:40 , Dylan Terry

The third and final practice session on Miami Grand Prix weekend kicks off at 6pm BST. It will last one hour before the cars return to the paddock ahead of qualifying.

Qualifying for the Miami GP will then begin at 9pm as the 20 drivers fight it out for the front row of the grid.

It promises to be a thrilling few hours of action on the east coast of America, so be sure not to miss live updates of all the action.

F1 drivers standings ahead of Miami GP

Saturday 7 May 2022 17:36 , Dylan Terry

1. Charles Leclerc | Ferrari | 86 points

2. Max Verstappen | Red Bull Racing | 59 points

3. Sergio Perez | Red Bull Racing | 54 points

4. George Russell | Mercedes | 49 points

5. Carlos Sainz | Ferrari | 38 points

6. Lando Norris | McLaren | 35 points

7. Lewis Hamilton | Mercedes | 28 points

8. Valtteri Bottas | Alfa Romeo | 24 points

9. Esteban Ocon | Alpine F1 | 20 points

10. Kevin Magnussen | Haas F1 Team | 15 points

11. Daniel Ricciardo | McLaren | 11 points

12. Yuki Tsunoda | AlphaTauri | 10 points

13. Pierre Gasly | AlphaTauri | 6 points

14. Sebastian Vettel | Aston Martin | 4 points

15. Fernando Alonso | Alpine F1 | 2 points

16. Zhou Guanyu | Alfa Romeo | 1 point

17. Lance Stroll | Aston Martin | 1 point

18. Alexander Albon | Williams Racing | 1 point

19. Mick Schumacher | Haas F1 Team | 0 points

20. Nicholas Latifi | Williams Racing | 0 points

Hamilton tempering expectations despite impressive Friday

Saturday 7 May 2022 17:32 , Dylan Terry

Lewis Hamilton has insisted ‘practice is practice’ despite a positive Friday at the Miami Grand Prix.

He said: “Practice is just practice and everyone is doing something different – not everyone is showing their true pace.

“But we seem to be quicker here. We have improved in some way, I am not sure where that is because we still have the bouncing.

“There are definitely positive elements to take from today. I am still struggling with the car but George looked fast out there.”

Russell on Mercedes improvement

Saturday 7 May 2022 17:25 , Dylan Terry

George Russell has revealed Mercedes do not know why they have shown so much improvement in Miami so far.

“We don’t really understand it,” said Russell. “We have hit the ground running.

“We knew the conditions would suit us better here because this is the first real hot race of the season, and that has helped us, but it is only Friday and we are not getting carried away.

“But it has definitely been a productive day for us, and probably the most productive Friday we have had this year.”

Mercedes pace improving

Saturday 7 May 2022 17:16 , Dylan Terry

Mercedes have struggled for pace in the opening four races of the season. They have been significantly adrift of Ferrari and Red Bull as George Russell and particularly Lewis Hamilton have failed to seriously compete for race victories.

But in the second practice session yesterday Russell topped the leaderboard ahead of Charles Leclerc. Hamilton managed fourth.

Can they continue that impressive upturn in the third session and qualifying later this evening?

Miami Grand Prix Saturday practice

Saturday 7 May 2022 16:42 , Luke Baker

Welcome to The Independent’s coverage of the final practice from the Miami Grand Prix ahead of qualifying later on Saturday.

F1 has arrived in the United States ahead of the long-awaited inaugural Miami Grand Prix and excitement is building as the drivers take to the track in Florida for the final time before qualifying for Sunday’s race.

In FP1 on Friday, Charles Leclerc - who heads into the fifth race of the season with the championship lead after two wins so far this season - posted the fastest time as Ferrari again impressed. But defending champion Max Verstappen and the Red Bulls also showed some pace, while there were finally signs of life from Mercedes as George Russell ended in P2, just 0.071s behind Leclerc.

Then in FP2, Mercedes built on that as Russell posted the fastest lap and Lewis Hamilton was fourth. The seven-time world champion’s struggles reached a new low after a 13th place finish at the Emilia Romagna Grand Prix two weeks ago but Miami could signal the start of a revival for the Brit.

Only two-tenths of a second separated the top three cars and, for the first time this season, we may have Ferrari, Red Bull and Mercedes all competing at the sharp-end and gunning for pole later on Saturday.