George Russell capped an impressive opening day for Mercedes at the inaugural Miami GP by topping Practice Two, as F1’s world champions sent a statement with much-improved pace while their rivals hit issues.

Mercedes have been lacking pace all season but appear to finally be in contention following make-or-break upgrades in America, where a genuine three-team battle could headline a much-anticipated street race.

Russell led Mercedes’ charge on Friday and, after placing second in the opening session, was fastest overall in the cooler P2, beating Charles Leclerc by a tenth of a second with his 1:29.939.

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Max Verstappen had only just come onto the track but was forced to return after his rear brake overheated

Sergio Perez was third for Red Bull, with Lewis Hamilton fourth and two-tenths off his young Mercedes team-mate Russell, who he also trails in the championship.

Mercedes’ start to the weekend was made all the more pleasing as Ferrari and Red Bull hit snags.

Carlos Sainz, after back-to-back shunts in Australia and Imola, crashed his Ferrari to bring out a red flag, while Max Verstappen completed only one disrupted lap in the session with reliability issues.

More to follow…