FP1: Verstappen leads Piastri and Sainz in Miami as Leclerc spins out

Red Bull Racing/Red Bull Content Pool

Red Bull's Max Verstappen topped the timesheets in the opening practice session for the Miami Grand Prix, ahead of McLaren's Oscar Piastri and Ferrari's Carlos Sainz.

Check out the results of the Miami Grand Prix weekend in the United States, including the race results, qualifying times, and practice sessions

The Sprint weekend format limited drivers to 60 minutes to acclimate to the 5.412-km Miami International Autodrome. Several teams were testing upgrades, with McLaren prominently introducing new parts.

Drama unfolded early on as Ferrari's Charles Leclerc spun exiting Turn 16, bringing out the red flags. Leclerc narrowly avoided the barriers but couldn't recover, ultimately exiting his car for marshals to clear.

Once the session resumed, Verstappen surged ahead on soft tires with a lap of 1m 28.595s, finishing a tenth clear of Piastri and Sainz. Mercedes' George Russell placed fourth, with his teammate Lewis Hamilton seventh, split by Lance Stroll's Aston Martin and Sergio Perez's Red Bull.

Yuki Tsunoda, Esteban Ocon, and Pierre Gasly completed the top 10, while Logan Sargeant, in his home Grand Prix, and Fernando Alonso brought up the rear.

Teams will analyze the data ahead of Sprint Qualifying set for 1630 local time.

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