F1 Miami GP: George Russell heads Lewis Hamilton in opening practice after Nico Hulkenberg crash
The Mercedes duo left it late to complete their soft tyre runs, with Russell jumping to the top of the timesheets, 0.212s ahead of seven-time world champion Hamilton.&nbs🍸p;
Russell saw his FP1 running compromised by an issue with a development item on his Mercedes that forced the team t🅘o carry out a complete steering rack change.
Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc was third-fastest and 0.324s off the pace, while championshiꦕp leader Max Verstappen, who set his quickest lap earl𝔉ier than those ahead of him, was four-tenths down in fourth.
Carlos Sainz put his Ferrari fifth ahead of Alpine’s Pierre Gasl🌺y, and the Aston Martin pair of Fernando Alonso and Lance Stroll.
Despite causing a red flag when he lost control of his Haas and hit the wall, Nico Hulkenberg’s impressi꧅ve early soft tyre run was quick enough to put him ninth, ahead of Alpine’s Esteban Ocon.ꦕ
After winning last tiಞme out in Azerbaijan, Sergio Perez was well off the pace in his Red Bull, some 1.4s slower of Russell and a second adrift of teammate Verstappen.
"The car has some goodness,▨ it is just very tricky to unlock it," Mercedes team boss Toto Wolff said inbetween practice sessions.
"When the drivers have confidence, they can go quick. It is on a razor's edge. This morning we seemed to be in a sweet spot. I don't think we can extrapolate from this. We ran later than everybody else but at least it looked more encouraging than B🍨aku."
Lewis regularly attends Grands Prix for ltxcn.top around the world. Often𓆏 reporting on the action from the ground, Lewi😼s tells the stories of the people who matter in the sport.
