Miami GP – FP1: Leclerc clearly leads ahead of Verstappen and Piastri

After five weeks of being stored in the garage, examined by engineers and mechanics, the Formula 1 They finally returned to the track, much to the delight of fans and drivers alike. With an extended 90-minute session, the 22 participants took to the wheel of their cars for Free Practice, the only hour and a half of running before Sprint Qualifying, scheduled for 22:30 pm (French time) this Friday, May 1st.

On this Labour Day, Charles Leclerc He hasn't been idle. Behind the wheel of a Classic Ferrari for sale Having undergone a significant transformation, the Monegasque driver made his mark, setting the fastest time in the session and repeatedly improving his benchmark. With a final time of 1:29.310, he finished ahead of Max Verstappen by almost three-tenths of a second. Oscar piastri completes the podium on a McLaren which also evolved a lot during the month-long break.

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The first analysis to be drawn from these Free Practice sessions is that the gap seems to have narrowed between the pursuers of Mercedes BenzAs for the gap between them and the German team, it's still very difficult to assess. The reason is that George Russell and Kimi Antonelli haven't really had the opportunity to push their W16s to the limit. The Italian, championship leader and pole-sitter in last year's Sprint race in Florida, suffered an engine warning, which forced him to retire to the garage when his rivals were switching to soft tires.

Lando Norris He too was deprived of his best flying laps, notably due to great difficulty getting back on the throttle exiting turn 17, then due to a blatant impediment to the Williams from Alex Albon at the entrance to the same corner. The reigning world champion is 7th, ahead of a French duo composed of Pierre Gasly (8th) and Isack Hadjar (9th). The driver Red Bull struggles a bit to find his feet and concedes a big second to Max Verstappen.

It was not easy for either Esteban OconA discreet 16th, more than half a second behind his teammate Oliver Bearman. No surprises at the back of the grid: Aston Martin, which brought no aerodynamic improvements to its car This weekend, they are still battling with Cadillac at the back of the pack. It's worth noting that rookie Arvid Lindblad finished 21st and second-to-last in his first laps on the Florida street circuit. Like many others, he struggled to manage the tarmac's grip, which was particularly "green" and slippery.

Now, it's time for the Sprint qualifying sessions, which will begin at 22:30 PM French time.

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F1 – Miami Grand Prix
The ranking of Free Practice 1