F1 Formula One is the highest class of international racing for open-wheel single-seater formula racing cars sanctioned by the Fédération Internationale de l’Automobile.
F1: Miami practice| Jewelry ban| Mini engine| Miami fp1
Miami practice:
The enthusiasm and passion is expected but oh, what a joy it is to share in the manifest pleasure of Formula One that still courses through Mario Andretti. He may be 82 but there is youthful ebullience radiating from the revered American driver before Sunday’s Miami Grand Prix.
After he had some heartbreaking personal losses in recent years, F1 at least really feels like it is coming home for the world champion who fell in love with the sport as a teenager.
Jewelry ban:
In the past four years Andretti has endured the deaths of some of his closest loved ones but has refused to be cowed.
“My home is much quieter,” he says with a thoughtful honesty that brings a lump to the throat. “No question, there was a degree of loneliness. You try to keep your chin up but it never goes away. You have never prepared for that, it’s there forever. A loss is a loss, your life changes in so many ways.”
Mini Engine:
“It will be awesome,” he says with the zeal of a true fan. “There is something beautiful about it. It is going to be long term, I can guarantee that. F1 is back to stay in the US.”
F1 is enjoying a new dawn in the Florida sunshine this weekend, the first of two races in the United States this year. With three scheduled for 2023, the sport is riding a wave of popularity not seen since the 60s and 70s and Andretti is revelling in it.
“If you are a race fan and for those of us for whom motor racing is our life, you see something gaining this level of interest and it doesn’t get any better than that,” he says.
Miami fp1:
Red Bull’s Max Verstappen, who has won two of four races this season, was briefly top of the charts but skimmed the wall on a green track and spent a fair chunk of the session in the garage. He ended up third quickest, 0.179s off the pace.
Verstappen’s team mate Sergio Perez was fourth, ahead of the leading AlphaTauri of Pierre Gasly – who is onto his third internal combustion engine (with a further change triggering a penalty) – with Ferrari’s Carlos Sainz failing to get a soft tyre time on the board after he picked up a puncture courtesy of a big lock up into Turn 1.
