(Miami) Driver standings leader Charles Leclerc dominated the first practice session ahead of the inaugural Formula 1 Grand Prix in Miami on Friday, while Mercedes revived some hope as George Russell got ahead of the two Red Bull cars.
Posted at 5:12 p.m.
Leclerc covered the 19-turn, 5.41-kilometer circuit around Hard Rock Stadium in 1 minute and 31.098 seconds aboard his Ferrari. Russell placed second.
Reigning world champion Max Verstappen followed in third place, ahead of his Red Bull teammate Sergio Perez.
Verstappen and Leclerc shared the honors of the first four events of the season, with two victories each.
Lewis Hamilton settled for eighth place in his Mercedes. Hamilton especially gained attention after defying the FIA’s anti-jewelry rules. The federation argues the jewelry poses a risk in the event of an emergency response to a crash, but Hamilton has stressed he cannot remove some piercings and is prepared to miss the race if penalized .
The seven-time world champion finally submitted a document to the FIA explaining that he was going to withdraw everything possible before the first practice session. He received an exemption regarding his earrings and his nose piercing.