The first free practice session in Miami, in the Florida heat, ended with a Ferrari in the lead. Charles Leclerc he was the fastest of all, posting a time of 1:31.098, in front of a very good George Russell less than a tenth away. Mercedes, despite Lewis' eighth place Hamilton, it looks like a different car compared to the mid-table car shown at Imola. In Brackley they seem to have finally managed to resolve the dreaded porpoising problems, but we will have to wait for qualifying and the race to have full confirmation.
Ferrari pushes, but Red Bull is there
The two Red Bulls finished in third and fourth position, with a Max Verstappen held back by problems related to the temperature that preceded his partner Sergio Perez. Behind them, a Sainz who looked to have potential but made a few mistakes too many, including a spin that led to a puncture. An excellent Alex Albon and a solid Pierre gasly finished in sixth and seventh position respectively, while Daniel's two McLarens Ricciardo and Lando Norris they closed the top 10.
Analysis time
The first session ever at the Miami International Autodrome served all the drivers to test the waters and, as expected, some ran into more or less serious mistakes. Among these, that of Valtteri Bottas he brought out the red flag when his Alfa Romeo went into the barriers. Even the title rivals, however, did not have a perfect session: Leclerc spun while Verstappen gave a "kiss" to the wall coming out of turn 16.
Waiting for FP2
Will Leclerc be able to keep the lead or will Verstappen bite again? Will Mercedes really prove to be more competitive than in past races? Some partial answers will arrive at the end of FP2, scheduled for 23pm.
