By Steve Keating
MIAMI (Reuters) – Red Bull’s Max Verstappen put down an early marker for a Miami Grand Prix hat-trick, posting the fastest time in the race’s lone practice session on Friday with McLaren’s Oscar Piastri second on the timesheets.
Verstappen, who has won both the races staged on the circuit that made its F1 debut in 2022, left it until the closing minutes of the one hour session to set the fastest lap.
The Dutchman’s time of one minute, 28.595 seconds at the Miami International Autodrome was 0.105 quicker than Piastri.
Carlos Sainz, the only driver other than Verstappen to win a race this season, was third best in what was a mixed morning for Ferrari with Charles Leclerc spinning and stopping on the track just 10 minutes into the session, bringing out the red flag.
Mercedes’ George Russell was fourth fastest followed by Aston Martin’s Lance Stroll.
Red Bull’s Sergio Perez, who started on pole in Miami last year, was sixth best just ahead of Mercedes seven-time world champion Lewis Hamilton.
It was a lively session for Alpine’s duo of Pierre Gasly and Esteban Ocon, offering hope that the struggling team could earn their first points of the season in Florida.
Gasly was top the timesheets late in the practice, finishing 10th just ahead of team mate Ocon in ninth.
For the second consecutive grand prix, the weekend will host a sprint race with only one practice.
Verstappen won the first sprint in China last month and arrives in Florida with four wins from five races and a 25 point lead over team mate Sergio Perez.
The Dutch 26-year-old won the first race around the Hard Rock Stadium in 2022 and then again from ninth last May.
Verstappen has started all five races this season from pole position, making him the only driver this century to achieve that feat. French great Alain Prost, with Williams in 1993, was the last driver to take the first six poles of a season.
Verstappen is also on a run of six successive wins in the United States.
(Reporting by Steve Keating in Miami, editing by Pritha Sarkar)
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