First Free Practice Report & Results 2025 Miami F1 Grand Prix

Event: Miami Grand Prix
Track: Miami International Autodrome

Weather: 28°C Dry
Tarmac: 42°C Dry
Humidity: 49%
Wind: 6.8 km//h

Piastri Sizzles in Scorching Miami as Bearman Spins Out: FP1 Report

MIAMI, FL — The glitz, the palm trees, and yes, the walls that bite—Formula 1 returned to the Sunshine State with a scorcher of a first practice session at the 2025 Miami Grand Prix. As the fifth race of the season and the start of a Sprint weekend, there was no time to ease into the rhythm. Oscar Piastri made sure of that.

McLaren's Message: Catch Us If You Can

McLaren came out swinging, and it was Oscar Piastri who turned the heat up in more ways than one. The Australian not only brushed the wall earlier in the session, but later brushed off the entire field, clocking a 1:27.128, faster than last year's pole lap. His time topped the timesheets ahead of Charles Leclerc and Max Verstappen.

Lando Norris? He didn’t even get a full soft-tyre flyer in. But just before being interrupted, the Brit lit up the second sector in purple. The garage doors at McLaren must be creaking with confidence—they’re looking like the team to beat in this Florida heat.

Bearman Bites the Wall

Ollie Bearman had a heart-sinking moment in the final minutes, losing the rear of his Haas at Turn 11 in a slow-speed spin that ended with a gentle kiss against the barriers. The red flag flew, and the session fizzled out as the clock ticked to zero. Luckily, Bearman emerged unscathed, though Haas now have their work cut out ahead of Sprint Qualifying.

Charles, Max & Oscar: The New Big Three?

Charles Leclerc looked sharp, briefly going P1 before being eclipsed by Verstappen, who himself was then blown away by a flying Piastri. If this were a game of musical chairs, it ended with Oscar sitting smugly in the top spot.

Max, freshly returned after becoming a first-time father (welcome, baby Lily!), seemed focused despite missing Thursday media duties. He’s running Red Bull’s new floor this weekend—his teammate Yuki Tsunoda, not so lucky.

Mercedes Show Promise—But Is It Real?

George Russell led the timing sheets early on with a tidy lap, while 18-year-old rookie Kimi Antonelli stunned with a P2 slot during the first half. It was impressive stuff, especially for a driver who’s never raced here before. But whether Mercedes can translate that to the business end of the Sprint remains a mystery, especially under the scorching Miami sun.

Clouds loomed overhead, but temperatures on track soared above 40°C, conditions that have traditionally hampered Mercedes more than their rivals. As Ruth Buscombe aptly put it: "Expect them to be quick over a lap... but they’ll need set-up tweaks for the heat."

Williams Sneak Into the Spotlight

Both Carlos Sainz and Alex Albon looked surprisingly sprightly in the Williams garage. Sainz even briefly led the session, while Albon found himself battling traffic but still in the hunt. Expect them to challenge for SQ3 spots later—especially if they can keep cool when the pressure rises.

French rookie Isack Hadjar also caught the eye. He wasn’t far off Albon’s time and might just throw a spanner in someone’s Sprint plans.

Traffic Troubles and Team Radios

The story of the day wasn’t just the pace—it was the chaos. Ocon nearly caused a collision dawdling on the racing line, much to the fury of Lando Norris and Max Verstappen. The stewards may yet take a look.

Meanwhile, Lando’s session began bizarrely, throwing tools out of the cockpit in frustration. His McLaren seemed to be suffering from teething problems—though clearly, it didn’t slow him down much.

Heat, Hopes and High Stakes

With only one practice hour before Sprint Qualifying, teams were desperate to gather data. Tyre choices and track evolution were the big questions—Pirelli has gone soft for this weekend, bringing the C3, C4, and C5 compounds. That means anyone going hard on the throttle without managing degradation could be in for a surprise later.

Expect Sprint Quali to be a fireworks show. The McLarens look menacing, Ferrari are lurking, and Red Bull are… well, not exactly dominant. Don’t sleep on Hamilton either—after all, he pulled a rabbit out of the hat in China.

What’s next?
Sprint Qualifying kicks off at 16:00 local time. With grid spots on the line and barely any margin for error, buckle up—Miami isn’t just hot, it’s heating up.

The fastest lap time in last years FP1 was driven by Max Verstappen with the Red Bull RB20. He drove a 1:28,595,

FP1 Lap Times 2025 Miami GP

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