FP2: Red Bull's Verstappen shrugs off issue to top second Miami practice session as Leclerc crashes late on

Max Verstappen set the fastest time of FP2 in Miami ahead of the Ferraris – though the reigning champion did complain of headrest issues throughout. As for third-placed Charles Leclerc, he brought out the only red flag of the session.

Verstappen and Ferrari’s Leclerc swapped places at the top of the timesheets early on in FP2 as both lapped on mediums, but the Red Bull driver consolidated his position when soft-tyred running began and ultimately set the benchmark with a 1m 27.930s. The Dutchman, however, complained that his HANS protection device was uncomfortable throughout the session.

FP1: Russell heads Mercedes 1-2 in opening practice session of the Miami Grand Prix

Carlos Sainz finished second for Ferrari, four tenths off the pace, while his team mate Leclerc was third and under a tenth behind the Spaniard. Leclerc, however, brought out the only red flag of FP2 when he wrestled with a snap of oversteer, locked up and sent his Ferrari front-first into the barriers at Turn 7 with 10 minutes remaining.

Sergio Perez aborted one flying lap as he almost collected the AlphaTauri of Nyck de Vries in the narrow Turn 14-15 chicane, and the Mexican ended up half a second off the pace and fourth, leaving Aston Martin’s Fernando Alonso fifth overall and seven-tenths off the pace.

Lando Norris briefly led the session when soft-tyred running began but the McLaren driver fell to P6, ahead of Mercedes’ Lewis Hamilton.

Lance Stroll took P8 for Aston Martin, a second off the pace, while Alpine’s Esteban Ocon was just 0.007s back in P9 and Alex Albon was a whisker off in P10 for Williams, with a brief lock-up hampering his qualifying simulation.

Pierre Gasly finished 11th for Alpine, ahead of 12th-placed Kevin Magnussen. The Danish Haas driver spun and brushed the wall at Turn 11, avoiding damage to finish ahead of the Alfa Romeos: Zhou Guanyu in P13 and Valtteri Bottas in P14.

HIGHLIGHTS: Watch the action from an interrupted first practice session in Miami

FP1 leader George Russell ran wide at Turn 11 just before Leclerc's Turn 7 crash and finished down in P15, ahead of McLaren’s Oscar Piastri. Next on the board was Haas’s Nico Hulkenberg, who crashed out of FP1 but made it to P17 in FP2 after a remarkable repair job by the team.

AlphaTauri’s Yuki Tsunoda took P18 in front of his team mate De Vries, while home hero Logan Sargeant rounded out the standings for Williams, around two seconds off the pace.

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