Miami GP, Practice One: George Russell leads Lewis Hamilton as Mercedes claim surprise one-two

George Russell tops opening practice session with a 1:30.125 to finish 0.212s ahead of Lewis Hamilton in Miami; Charles Leclerc third in upgraded Ferrari; watch the Miami GP exclusively live on Sky Sports F1 this weekend

Mercedes claimed a surprise one-two in the opening practice session at the Miami GP as George Russell showed late pace to lead home Lewis Hamilton.

Russell pumped in a 1:30.125 in the closing minutes of the session to finish 0.212s ahead of his team-mate Hamilton at the Miami International Autodrome.

It was a welcome end to the session for Russell who had missed nearly 30 minutes of running due to a steering issue caused by a heavy ‘development item’ that needed removing.

Charles Leclerc finished third, three tenths off Russell’s leading time with his final lap in the upgraded Ferrari, which features a new floor and diffuser.

Championship leader Max Verstappen had to settle for the fourth fastest time having led the majority of the session until the Mercedes’ late runs.

Team-mate Sergio Perez was unable to match the pace of his title rival, being a second off Verstappen’s best time.

The session was red flagged for nine minutes after Nico Hulkenberg had a big crash on the exit of Turn Three, a few minutes after he had briefly put his Haas top of the timesheet at the team’s home race.

More to follow…

The Formula 1 season continues with the Miami GP this weekend. Watch qualifying at 9pm on Saturday with lights out at 8.30pm on Sunday. Get Sky Sports