One race does not turn out to be the other. Where Lewis Hamilton was far from the lead in Imola, the former world champion seems to be sitting pretty with his Mercedes in Miami.

Surprising

In the second free practice, Hamilton finished fourth, although it should be noted that Max Verstappen was unable to play a significant role due to technical problems and Carlos Sainz due to a crash. Still, the surprising fastest time of Mercedes teammate George Russell gave the impression that for Hamilton there could have been even more.

Where suddenly this speed comes from is a mystery to Hamilton. "The car is similar to the previous races, but we seem faster," said Hamilton at Sky Sports. "The times indicate that there are improvements, but I can't tell you how that came about. The car still suffers from porpoising and we have balance problems. But we've definitely improved."

Good in the heat

A possible explanation for the strong opening day sees Mercedes in the heat. Russell already indicated that the car apparently performs well when it is hot. No doubt, therefore, the team is hoping that the temperature will continue to rise for the rest of the weekend.