Home F1 Miami GP: Verstappen fastest in FP2 as Leclerc causes red flag

Miami GP: Verstappen fastest in FP2 as Leclerc causes red flag

05/05/2023

Max Verstappen was back on top in FP2 of F1 Miami GP from the Ferrari pair of Carlos Sainz and Charles Leclerc.

It was a rather smooth FP2 in F1 Miami GP with their first second practice session run in over a month since Australia. A headrest problem did not hamper Red Bull’s Verstappen to set the pace with a 1m27.930s lap which was already faster than last year’s time.

The new surface is helping the times to come down as Ferrari pair of Sainz (1m28.315s) and Leclerc (1m28.398s) slotted in second and third where the Monegasque had his initial lap not being completed after a moment at Turn 17.

He also caused a late red flag after having a snappy moment at Turn 8 and going straight on to the tyre barrier. Red Bull’s Sergio Perez, meanwhile, was fourth after a slightly better run than FP1 but not enough against Verstappen.

Aston Martin’s Fernando Alonso was fifth from McLaren’s Lando Norris, who showed good one lap pace early in the session. The Spaniard had a moment with Alpine to share a cheeky message of the free practice being the only time for them to have a moment.

Mercedes’ Lewis Hamilton was seventh but not without multiple moments during the session. The other Aston Martin of Lance Stroll was eighth from Alpine’s Esteban Ocon, with Williams’ Alexander Albon rounding the Top 10.

The Thai driver too had a moment at Turn 17 going deep in the corner. Alpine’s Pierre Gasly was 11th after traffic hampered his fast lap, with Haas’ Kevin Magnussen in 12th after his early brush with the tyre barrier at Turn 14 where he was unscathed.

Alfa Romeo’s Zhou Guanyu was 13th from teammate Valtteri Bottas, as Mercedes’ George Russell was only 15th after his multiple moments and no clean laps. He also had a moment where he went deep in the corner as McLaren’s Oscar Piastri was 16th.

Haas managed to ready Nico Hulkenberg’s car where he finished 17th while the AlphaTauri pair of Yuki Tsunoda and Nyck de Vries were 18th and 19th, with Williams’ Logan Sargeant ending up 20th. The Japanese driver had a big lock-up at Turn 1 too.