Whilst it was 55 degrees on the track for the opening practice session for the 2022 Miami Grand Prix, the temperature cooled slightly in Miami but only to the mid 40s, at the start of the second free practice session. However, that was still a hotter circuit than anything we have seen so far in the 2022 Formula One season.
Max Verstappen’s gearbox was ‘precautionarily’ changed after a brush with the wall in P1, as FP2 got underway in Miami.
Carlos Sainz set the fastest time in the first half of the session, but unfortunately he was not able to complete Ferrari’s scheduled programme due to a crash, as things go from bad to worse for the Spaniard. Carlos was desperate for an upturn in form and fortunes this season and just when it looked like he was on Charles Leclerc’s pace in Miami, he was way too optimistic going into a slow section of the track. The session was therefore suspended as the stricken F1-75 car was recovered, and a running clock ate into crucial qualy-sim time for the teams and drivers.
Things didn’t go much better for Max Verstappen, who was called straight back into the pits after having some steering issues on his return. This definitely represents a reliability concern for Red Bull – the first of many in the start of the season – particularly as it was supposed to be a precautionary gearbox change.
Charles Leclerc’s fastest lap was surpassed only by George Russel. In the final stages of the season, the Monegasque driver went for another qualifying run, but it wasn’t the best flying lap from Charles Leclerc, who could’t improve on his previous time and remained second. And that was the end of the second practice session, with George Russell who led the way. Charles Leclerc was just behind him in second, with Sergio Perez in third and Hamilton fourth.
A promising start to the weekend for Mercedes, but that was a very unhappy hour for both Carlos Sainz and Max Vertsappen.
P2: Top Ten Standings
1) George Russell
2) Charles Leclerc
3) Sergio Perez
4) Lewis Hamilton
5) Fernando Alonso
6) Lando Norris
7) Pierre Gasly
8) Zhou Guanyu
9) Estaban Ocon
10) Kevin Magnussen
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