By Mark Karp
Max Verstappen topped the time sheets during the second practice session for the Formula 1 Miami Grand Prix, setting a benchmark time of 1m27.930s. The Red Bull Racing driver’s performance showcased his team’s strong pace, while Charles Leclerc’s crash at Turn 7 late in the session highlighted the challenges of the new Miami circuit.
The session began with the Ferrari drivers Carlos Sainz and Charles Leclerc setting the initial pace, breaking into the 1m31s time bracket. Sainz posted a 1m31.787s lap time, which was soon eclipsed by Leclerc with a 1m31.477s lap. These early times were still over a second slower than George Russell’s fastest time from the first practice session.
As the session progressed, Red Bull’s Sergio Perez managed to close the gap to the front with a 1m30.757s lap time, only to be beaten by Verstappen’s 1m30.146s time. Sainz then posted a 1m30.128s, three-thousandths of a second shy of Russell’s FP1 time, before Leclerc broke the 90-second barrier with a 1m29.497s lap. Verstappen subsequently managed to set a faster time of 1m29.380s.
The McLaren duo of Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri began their session on the soft tires, raising the stakes with their opening laps. Norris set a 1m28.741s time, which held as the fastest time for a significant portion of the soft-tire runs, while Piastri trailed behind by six-tenths.
Fernando Alonso and Sainz took turns occupying the second position on the timing sheets, but Norris managed to maintain his lead. Leclerc’s lock-up during his lap denied him the opportunity to capitalize on a purple middle sector and take control of the session.
Verstappen ultimately ended Norris’ reign at the top with a 1m28.255s lap time, recording the best sector two time. Sainz came close to dethroning Verstappen, falling short by just 0.06s. Verstappen then improved his time, setting a 1m27.930s lap, which remained unbeaten as the session moved into the long-run phase for the final 20 minutes.
Unfortunately for the teams and engineers, the long runs were interrupted ten minutes from the end of the session when Leclerc crashed his Ferrari into the wall at Turn 7. The incident caused a five-minute delay as his car was recovered, but the session resumed for a last-gasp attempt to gather long-run data.
Leclerc, who had received a new gearbox before the session, finished in third place behind Verstappen and Sainz. Baku winner Perez placed fourth, with Alonso finishing fifth, overcoming Norris’ rapid first attempt on the soft tires. Norris finished in sixth place, with McLaren’s Baku update package seemingly working well in Miami.
Seven-time world champion Lewis Hamilton had a few moments at the challenging Turn 14-15 chicane but managed to finish seventh overall. Lance Stroll, Esteban Ocon, and Alex Albon completed the top 10.
Kevin Magnussen had a near miss with the wall after spinning at Turn 14 but managed to finish 12th fastest, just behind Pierre Gasly. FP1 leader Russell, who encountered traffic on his hot lap on soft tires, finished only 15th fastest, complaining of the car “three-wheeling” through Turn 2 as he struggled for pace. The mixed results in the practice sessions set the stage for an exciting and unpredictable Miami Grand Prix weekend
