Max Verstappen quickest in FP2 after Russel top FP1:

Max Verstappen set the fastest time of the second free practice session for the 2023 FIA Formula 1 Miami Grand Prix but Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc brought running to a halt when he crash late in the session. 

Ferrari driver Leclerc and team-mate set the early pace, but the first really representative time came from Red Bull’s Sergio Perez who set a time of 1:30.757 and then by his team-mate Max Verstappen who stopped the clock at 1:30.146.

Sainz then posted a lap of 1m30.128s, and Leclerc became the first driver to get under 1m30s with a lap of 1:29.497. 

Verstappen put in another quick lap that edged him close to the Monegasque driver and then with his next attempt he finally pushed through to the top of the order with a 1:29.380.

All of the early P1 times had been set on medium compound Pirelli tyres but McLaren’s Lando Norris then emerged on soft tyres and the Briton jumped to top spot with a lap of 

1:28.741. Aston Martin’s Fernando Alonso moved to P2 before being supplanted by Sainz, but Norris’ time proved good enough to stand for some time. 

It was Verstappen who eventually toppled the McLaren driver, the Dutchman posting a 1:28.255. The champion then lowered the benchmark to 1:27.930 as drivers began to switch to longer runs. 

Ten minutes from the end of the session the red flags came out when Leclerc crashed at Turn 7. The incident resulted in a five-minute stoppage as the damaged Ferrari was rescued. When running resumed it was solely to get more running on the harder compounds and there were no significant improvements in lap time. 

Behind Verstappen. Sainz finished second with Leclerc third. Pérez ended the session in fourth, almost half a second behind his team-mate. 

Alonso was left with fifth place with the Spaniard having moved past Norris just before Leclerc’s crash. Lewis Hamilton finished seventh ahead of Aston Martin’s Lance Stroll, as Esteban Ocon and Alex Albon completed the top 10.

2023 FIA Formula 1 Miami Grand Prix – Free Practice 2
1 Max Verstappen Red Bull Racing 23 1:27.930 
2 Carlos Sainz Ferrari 26 1:28.315 0.385
3 Charles Leclerc Ferrari 20 1:28.398 0.468
4 Sergio Perez Red Bull Racing 24 1:28.419 0.489
5 Fernando Alonso Aston Martin 25 1:28.660 0.730
6 Lando Norris McLaren 24 1:28.741 0.811
7 Lewis Hamilton Mercedes 23 1:28.858 0.928
8 Lance Stroll Aston Martin 23 1:28.930 1.000
9 Esteban Ocon Alpine 25 1:28.937 1.007
10 Alex Albon Williams 26 1:29.046 1.116
11 Pierre Gasly Alpine 22 1:29.098 1.168
12 Kevin Magnussen Haas 22 1:29.171 1.241
13 Zhou Guanyu Alfa Romeo 27 1:29.181 1.251
14 Valtteri Bottas Alfa Romeo 26 1:29.189 1.259
15 George Russell Mercedes 21 1:29.216 1.286
16 Oscar Piastri McLaren MCL60 McLaren 24 1:29.339 1.409
17 Nico Hulkenberg Haas VF-23 Haas 22 1:29.393 1.463
18 Yuki Tsunoda AlphaTauri AT04 AlphaTauri 25 1:29.613 1.683
19 Nyck de Vries AlphaTauri AT04 AlphaTauri 25 1:29.928 1.998
20 Logan Sargeant Williams FW45 Williams 27 1:30.038 2.108