The F1 world championship leader headed a Ferrari 1-2 in qualifying to push Max Verstappen into third place after the Red Bull driver had held provisional pole after the first runs in Q3.
It marks Leclerc’s third pole of the season and acts as a good omen for the Monegasque driver as he has gone on to win both races that he’s started from first place this year.
Sainz was content with second place as he bounced back from a heavy crash in second practice on Friday, missing out on pole by 0.190s, as he beat Verstappen by just 0.005s who also suffered a truncated Friday due to a gearbox change and a hydraulics issue.
Perez claimed fourth place in the sister Red Bull, as Valtteri Bottas impressed again with fifth place for Alfa Romeo and out-qualified former Mercedes team-mate Lewis Hamilton.
AlphaTauri’s Pierre Gasly beat Lando Norris to seventh in qualifying as the McLaren driver split him from his team-mate Yuki Tsunoda, as Aston Martin’s Lance Stroll rounded out the top 10.
The biggest absentees from Q3 were Fernando Alonso (Alpine) and George Russell (Mercedes) who will start the Miami GP from 11th and 12th respectively after being knocked out in Q2.
Alpine’s Esteban Ocon will start from the back after missing qualifying entirely due to car damage sustained in a heavy crash in final practice.
When is the F1 Miami Grand Prix?
- Date: Sunday 8th May 2022
- Start time: 8:30pm BST, 3:30pm local time
The fifth round of the 2022 F1 season, the Miami GP at the Miami International Autodrome, gets underway at 3:30pm local time (8:30pm BST) on Sunday 8th May.
How can I watch Formula 1?
In the United Kingdom Formula 1 is only broadcast live on Sky Sports, with highlights shown on Channel 4 several hours after the race has finished. Live streaming through NOW is also available in the UK.
Sky Sports F1, which broadcasts the F1 races, can be added as part of the Sky Sports channels which costs £20 a month for new customers. Sky Sports can also be accessed through NOW with a one-off day payment of £11.98p or a month membership of £33.99p per month.
Fans wanting to watch the race for free will have to wait until the evening of Saturday (qualifying) or Sunday (race) to see the highlights on Channel 4.
How can I watch the F1 Miami GP?
In the United Kingdom, Sky Sports will be live broadcasting the Miami GP, with the race shown live on Sky Sports F1 and Sky Sports Main Event. Pre-race coverage will be starting on Sky Sports F1 at 7:00pm BST, and on Sky Sports Main Event at 7:30pm BST, ahead of the race start at 8:30pm BST.
- Channels: Sky Sports F1 and Sky Sports Main Event
- Start time: 7:00pm BST and 7:30pm BST, Sunday 8th May
Autosport will be running a live text coverage of the Miami GP here.
When can I watch the F1 Miami GP highlights?
In the United Kingdom Channel 4 is broadcasting highlights of the Miami GP at 12:30am BST on Monday morning. The full programme will run for one hour and 30 minutes, covering the pre-race, the race highlights and the initial post-race reaction to wrap up the major talking points of the race weekend.
For the entire 2022 F1 season, Channel 4 will broadcast highlights of every qualifying and race of each event. The highlights will also be available on Channel 4’s on demand catch up services.
- Channel: Channel 4
- Start time: 12:30am BST, Monday 9th May
Will the F1 Miami GP be on the radio?
Live radio coverage of every practice, qualifying and race for the 2022 F1 season will be available on the BBC Radio 5 Live, 5 Live Sports Extra stations, the BBC Sounds app and the via the BBC Sport website.
Live coverage of the Miami GP will start at 8:00pm BST on BBC Radio 5 Live and on the BBC Sounds app.
Weather forecast for the F1 Miami GP
Current weather forecasts predict hot and sunny conditions at Miami Gardens, with a small chance of rain and thunderstorms during the race. The temperature is expected to be 33 degrees Celsius for the start of the race, 18 degrees warmer than the Emilia Romagna GP last time out.
How many laps is the F1 Miami GP?
The race is scheduled to complete 57 laps at the Miami International Autodrome, covering a total race distance of 308.326km.
F1 Miami GP starting grid
| Cla | Driver | Chassis | Time | Gap | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |  Charles Leclerc |  | Ferrari | 1'28.796 | |
| 2 |  Carlos Sainz | | Ferrari | 1'28.986 | 0.190 |
| 3 |  Max Verstappen |  | Red Bull | 1'28.991 | 0.195 |
| 4 |  Sergio Perez |  | Red Bull | 1'29.036 | 0.240 |
| 5 |  Valtteri Bottas |  | Alfa Romeo | 1'29.475 | 0.679 |
| 6 |  Lewis Hamilton |  | Mercedes | 1'29.625 | 0.829 |
| 7 |  Pierre Gasly |  | AlphaTauri | 1'29.690 | 0.894 |
| 8 | Lando Norris |  | McLaren | 1'29.750 | 0.954 |
| 9 |  Yuki Tsunoda | | AlphaTauri | 1'29.932 | 1.136 |
| 10 |  Lance Stroll |  | Aston Martin | 1'30.676 | 1.880 |
| 11 | Fernando Alonso |  | Alpine | 1'30.160 | 1.364 |
| 12 | George Russell |  | Mercedes | 1'30.173 | 1.377 |
| 13 |  Sebastian Vettel | | Aston Martin | 1'30.214 | 1.418 |
| 14 |  Daniel Ricciardo | | McLaren | 1'30.310 | 1.514 |
| 15 | Mick Schumacher |  | Haas | 1'30.423 | 1.627 |
| 16 |  Kevin Magnussen |  | Haas | 1'30.975 | 2.179 |
| 17 |  Zhou Guanyu |  | Alfa Romeo | 1'31.020 | 2.224 |
| 18 |  Alex Albon |  | Williams | 1'31.266 | 2.470 |
| 19 | Nicholas Latifi |  | Williams | 1'31.325 | 2.529 |
| 20 | Esteban Ocon |  | Alpine | ||
| View full results | |||||
