In the sweltering heat in Miami, it is “quite possible that there will be surprises”, believes Formula 1 expert Alexander Wurz after the first free practice session
Max Verstappen was a long time behind in the first free practice session for the 2024 Miami Grand Prix. With asphalt temperatures of more than 50 degrees around the legendary Hardrock Stadium, he occasionally reported on the pit radio: “The tires are way too hot. I have no grip. It’s like driving on eggshells!” But in the end, the Red Bull driver still set the fastest time
The track was at its grippiest and fastest in the final minutes, so the times tumbled again in the finish. Verstappen set a best time of 1:28.595 minutes, relegating Oscar Piastri (+0.105), with an extensive McLaren update, and Carlos Sainz (Ferrari/+0.116) to second and third place.
The Top 6 were within 0.3 seconds of each other at the end of the session. In 4th place: George Russell, whose Mercedes team is using the new underbody for the first time in Miami, which was actually only planned for Imola. Fifth was Lance Stroll (Aston Martin), the fastest of the free practice session in Shanghai. And sixth was Sergio Perez (Red Bull).
The question of whether the Mercedes update is working cannot yet be answered conclusively after 60 minutes. “That wasn’t bad,” says Team Principal Toto Wolff in an interview with ORF. “It’s good to be in the top four. The Red Bulls don’t look quite as strong yet, but it’s incredibly close. The first ten cars are within two tenths of each other.”
It was only seven minutes into the race when there was the first stoppage (which lasted eight minutes). Charles Leclerc spun – incidentally in a Ferrari repainted with light blue accents due to sponsor HP – at turn 16 on his fourth lap and had to stop immediately.
After the spin, the team initially instructed him to engage reverse gear and pull the gearshift paddle, but: “I’m doing that, but it’s not working,” Leclerc radioed. And shortly afterwards: “What’s going on now? Can I carry on driving or is that it?” In retrospect, the telemetry showed that the clutch had become too hot, so reverse gear could not be engaged
It’s an early red flag
We’ve got a road block after Leclerc goes for a spin and can’t get going F1 MiamiGP pic.twitter.com/QBFwOH2FcF
– Formula 1 (@F1) May 3, 2024
A major setback for Leclerc, who could only watch the rest of the session as a spectator in the pits. Because sprint racing is back in Miami, so there is only one free practice session this weekend. On Friday evening, at 22:30 German time, the sprint qualifying is already on the program.
“Certainly not an advantage for Leclerc today,” says Racing Bulls Team Principal Peter Bayer in an interview with ORF. “Certainly a big challenge for the team, where the basics are completely lacking. At the same time, it’s a street circuit. It helps if the drivers can drive, because they can get used to the track more. ”
Lewis Hamilton (Mercedes) finished seventh, 0.228 seconds behind Russell. Yuki Tsunoda (Racing Bulls) finished 8th – particularly encouraging as he set his best time on the slightly harder medium tires. This signals that Miami could be a wear and tear race. The session was characterized by numerous small slips as the drivers struggled with grip.
But the Racing Bulls are satisfied for now: “Overall, the positive thing for us from the session is that the upgrade is working,” says Bayer. “Both drivers feel comfortable, both have confirmed that the balance is very good. Accordingly, we are cautiously optimistic for the sessions to come.”
Alpine brought both cars into the top 10, and after only Esteban Ocon had the new underbody in Shanghai, both drivers can make use of it this time. Nico Hülkenberg (Haas) finished 13th, 0.125 seconds behind Kevin Magnussen (12th). And Lando Norris (16th/McLaren/+0.900) had a problem with the power steering
Where can you watch the sprint and race live?
Miami is the second of six sprint race weekends in the 2024 Formula 1 season after Shanghai two weeks ago – with a different format: Sprint qualifying will take place on Friday afternoon, the sprint race on Saturday morning, qualifying for the Grand Prix on Saturday afternoon and the Grand Prix as usual on Sunday.
The Grand Prix of Miami will not be broadcast on free-to-air TV in Germany. If you want to watch the sprint and race live, you will have to use a pay service. The sprint starts on Saturday at 18:00 and the race on Sunday at 22:00. In each case German time, with a six-hour time difference between Munich and Shanghai