Lando Norris’ McLaren team are being investigated by Formula One’s governing body after they left tools in his cockpit during opening practice for the Miami Grand Prix.

Norris said he needed to kick his stuttering championship challenge into gear here in Florida after seeing team-mate Oscar Piastri usurp him at the top of the standings.

But the British driver’s weekend started in peculiar circumstances when he took to the track with a spanner and torch inside his car.

“You have left so many tools in the cockpit,” said Norris over the radio. “Everything is just falling apart.”

Norris was able to return to the pits but the FIA announced McLaren will be investigated for a potential breach of releasing a car in an unsafe condition.

McLaren are set to be warned, and possibly fined, for the incident. Later in the session, Norris was then forced to take evasive action when he approached Esteban Ocon’s Haas on the back straight.

Norris, who has not won a race since the opening round in Australia and sits 10 points behind Piastri, had just set the fastest middle sector of the session before the running was suspended when Ollie Bearman put his Haas in the wall with just four minutes to go.

Norris was unable to complete his lap leaving him 12th in the order as Piastri set the pace for McLaren, 0.356 seconds clear of Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc.

Max Verstappen was in his Red Bull cockpit for the first time as a father after he announced the birth of his first child, Lily, with his girlfriend, Kelly Piquet.

Verstappen was absent for his media duties on Thursday, and he finished third in practice, four tenths off the pace.

Lewis Hamilton conceded that his difficult start to life at Ferrari could last all season and he was only 13th here, 1.4 secs down.

The Miami GP is the first of three races to take place in the United States this season with rounds to follow in Austin and Las Vegas later in the year.

And it was announced in the moments prior to practice that a new deal has been rubber-stamped to see the fixture remain on the calendar until 2041.

Qualifying for Saturday’s sprint race takes place at 16.30 local time (21.30 BST).