World Champion Max Verstappen set the pace during the sole practice session for Formula 1’s Miami Grand Prix.
Verstappen, who won the opening two editions of Miami’s grand prix, struggled through most of the session amid front locking, twice running wide at the hairpin.
Verstappen also complained that his Soft tyres provided “no grip” and described the experience of “like driving on egg shells,” but regrouped to set the fastest time.
Verstappen’s time of 1:28.595s left him 0.105s clear of McLaren driver Oscar Piastri.
McLaren introduced a sizeable upgrade package, with a redesigned front wing, suspension, floor, sidepod inlet and cooling louvres among the substantial alterations.
Lando Norris has the full specification while Piastri has around half of the new components and will receive the entire update package at the next round at Imola.
Norris wound up only 16th, with his best time on Soft tyres, after struggling with asymmetric power steering assistance, an issue which was unrelated to the upgrade, and which McLaren expects to fix prior to sprint qualifying.
Ferrari’s Carlos Sainz was third fastest but team-mate Charles Leclerc endured a troubled session.
Leclerc spun through the slow left-hander of Turn 16 and while he avoided making contract with the wall he was unable to extricate his Ferrari given the narrow width of the track.
Leclerc attempted to rotate the SF-24 but eventually had to concede defeat, causing the session to be red-flagged, and leaving the Ferrari driver with only three laps under his belt.
George Russell was fourth for Mercedes, ahead of Aston Martin’s Lance Stroll, with Red Bull’s Sergio Perez sixth.
Lewis Hamilton claimed seventh, as RB’s Yuki Tsunoda and Alpine duo Esteban Ocon and Pierre Gasly rounded out the top 10 in an improved display by the struggling French marque.
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