Practice Session Highlights: The sole practice session for the Miami Grand Prix saw championship leader Oscar Piastri set the fastest time. The McLaren driver’s lap of 1:27.128s on soft tires put him ahead of Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc by 0.356 seconds. Red Bull’s Max Verstappen, who experienced a delayed arrival due to the birth of his child, finished third, 0.430 seconds adrift of Piastri.
Early Stages: George Russell initially led the session, setting a time of 1:28.488s on medium tires. His Mercedes teammate, Kimi Antonelli, briefly held second place, followed by Williams’ Carlos Sainz. Russell continued to improve, lowering the benchmark to 1:28.058s while most drivers focused on evaluating the medium compound in preparation for Sprint qualifying.
Qualifying Simulations: As the session progressed, teams began switching to soft tires for qualifying simulations. Williams drivers Sainz and Alex Albon briefly topped the timesheets before the more established frontrunners posted their fastest laps. Verstappen and Leclerc each took turns in the top spot, but it was Piastri who ultimately set the fastest time.
Red Flag Incident: With just four minutes remaining in the session, Haas driver Ollie Bearman crashed into the barriers, bringing out the red flags. This incident prematurely ended the practice session, leaving the final order unchanged.
Top Ten Results:
1 Oscar Piastri McLaren/Mercedes 1:27.128 22 223.615
2 Charles Leclerc Ferrari 1:27.484 0.356 22 222.705
3 Max Verstappen Red Bull/Honda RBPT 1:27.558 0.430 20 222.517
4 Carlos Sainz Williams/Mercedes 1:27.678 0.550 23 222.213
5 Alexander Albon Williams/Mercedes 1:27.955 0.827 25 221.513
6 Isack Hadjar Racing Bulls/Honda RBPT 1:27.968 0.840 23 221.480
7 George Russell Mercedes 1:28.058 0.930 26 221.254
8 Yuki Tsunoda Red Bull/Honda RBPT 1:28.155 1.027 21 221.010
9 Kimi Antonelli Mercedes 1:28.227 1.099 28 220.830
10 Fernando Alonso Aston Martin/Mercedes 1:28.243 1.115 24 220.790
11 Liam Lawson Racing Bulls/Honda RBPT 1:28.374 1.246 21 220.463
12 Lando Norris McLaren/Mercedes 1:28.391 1.263 21 220.420
13 Lewis Hamilton Ferrari 1:28.556 1.428 20 220.009
14 Nico Hülkenberg Sauber/Ferrari 1:28.573 1.445 13 219.967
15 Gabriel Bortoleto Sauber/Ferrari 1:28.771 1.643 19 219.477
16 Oliver Bearman Haas/Ferrari 1:28.996 1.868 22 218.922
17 Pierre Gasly Alpine/Renault 1:29.084 1.956 22 218.705
18 Esteban Ocon Haas/Ferrari 1:29.179 2.051 19 218.472
19 Jack Doohan Alpine/Renault 1:29.357 2.229 22 218.037
20 Lance Stroll Aston Martin/Mercedes 1:29.362 2.234 21 218.025
Session Summary: Oscar Piastri emerged as the quickest driver in the sole practice session for the Miami Grand Prix, setting a strong pace ahead of Leclerc and Verstappen. The session was interrupted by a late red flag caused by Ollie Bearman’s incident, solidifying the final practice order.
Disclaimer: This article provides a report on the Free Practice 1 session of the Formula 1 Miami Grand Prix. Performance in practice does not guarantee similar results in qualifying or the race.
Source: FIA
AI Assistance: Gemini