I drive from Middlesborough to Wokingham Most weekends. Setting off arround 4:30, so hit Leeds at rush hour.
It’s fine, sometimes busy arround Leeds, but usualy only drops to 55-60mph, maybe adding 5-10 min to the sat nav.
I’ve used the A1 before after missing the junction for the M18 (don’t use the M1 past sheffield, that realy is bad, and longer than the A1/M18 route) and the roundabouts, tractors, scooters etc get annoying, much rather be on the motorway.
The worst trafic is usualy the M25, so you might be quicker going down the M42, A404, Ma, A329(M) whichis what I’ve generaly setteled on unless there’s a trafic report saying that routes going to be particularly bad.