Lando Norris’ McLaren team escaped with a warning after being investigated for leaving tools in the British driver’s cockpit during opening practice for the Miami Grand Prix.

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

But his weekend started in peculiar circumstances when he took to the track with two torches still 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 immediately launched an investigation over McLaren allegedly “releasing a car in an unsafe condition”.

The team were found guilty of the offence and were handed a warning.

An FIA statement read: “The team admitted in the hearing that they made a genuine mistake by leaving two torches/flashlights in the cockpit when releasing car four (Norris) from the garage.

“However, the driver realised directly after entering the track that some equipment was in the car and was able to secure both parts shortly after leaving the pit exit before returning slowly to the pits.

“The stewards determine that the incident qualifies as a car being released in an unsafe condition, but the driver realised the problem extremely quickly and reacted adequately to prevent any unsafe or dangerous situation. This is taken into account in mitigation and a warning to the competitor is issued.”

Later in the session, Norris was then forced to take evasive action when he approached Esteban Ocon’s Haas at speed 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, absent from his media duties on Thursday, finished third in practice, four tenths off the pace.

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