Official F1 Journal F1 Academy Friday Round Up- Miami

Practice 1 

After a long break between the last race in Jeddah and here in Miami the F1 Academy  grid was more than ready to get out on the track and tackle there 2nd Street Track of the season. This weekend the grid is joined by American Courtney Crone who will be racing for Prema for the Miami Weekend.
All the cars were straight out on track, with everyone needing to use every minute of the session to gain data and confidence at the tricky, tight track. 
It was Championship leader Abbi Pulling who set the early pace with a 2'04.6 before Pin beat her time and began a back and forth between the 2 for the 1st half of the session with the 2 exchanging fastest time but neither managing to break the 2 minute mark.

Lia Block had a moment negotiating the high speed section of Turns 6,7 & 8 but kept the car out of the wall and continued on in the session. Also having moments of their own were Chambers, H. Al Qubaisi and Schreiner, all finding the run off but managing to escape without damage to continue running. 
In the closing minutes of the session we saw Abbi Pulling go over half a second clear of Pin and the rest of the field but it was short lived and Pin took the top spot back by finally dipping below the 2 minute mark with a 1'59.949 to finish the 1st Practice session in Miami fastest of all. 
Mclarens-'s Bustamante  was 3rd, Marti brought her Campos home in 4th & Weug(Ferrari) 5th. 

Practice 1 Result 

1 PIN   1'59.949
2 PUL +0.070
3 BUS +0.319
4 MAR +0.413
5 WEU +0.448
6 CHA +0.741
7 DEH +0.763
8 EDG +0.823
9 NOB +0.842
10 BLO +0.887
11 SCH +0.916
12 AAL +1.192
13 LOV +1.233
14 HAU +1.253
15 HAL +1.565
​16 CRO +2.238

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Practice 2 

After a short delay to the session all the cars were straight out to make the most of the 40 minute session. Bustamante was first to set a time setting a 2'00.655 half a second faster than Pulling in 2nd & Pin in 8th after their first runs. The lap cam thick and fast with drivers pushing the limits, Abbi Pulling nearly pushed them to far touching the wall at turn 16, joining Fernando Alonso & Daniel Ricciardo in kissing the wall there this weekend. Track limits was an issue for a few of the drivers with Doriane Pin having one of her laps deleted for going off the track. 
13 minutes gone Pin topped the times after Bustamantes 1st lap time had been fastest for the session so far but Pin wasn't top for long as Pulling beat her by 0.043s. 
​20 minutes to go and after the cars had pit to make changes and prepare for their 2nd half of the session Chambers(HAAS backed) was fastest in sector 1 but could only manage 6th fastest on her best lap of the session so far, but with the top 8 covered by just 6 tenths the times were very close.

15 minutes to go Pulling was still fastest but hadn't beaten the fastest time from Practice 1 as we started to see Qualifying Simulations laps begin. Lia Block was down in 15th ahead of Wild Card American racer Courtney Crone. 
12 minutes to go Pulling put with a mighty lap, extended her lead at the top of the times and finally broking the 2 minute barrier with a 1'59.599 more than 3 tenths faster than Pin fastest in the morning session and 0.7s faster than anyone else so far in this session. Bustamante had a big lock up into Turn 17 hurting her tyres. Chambers and HAL put in great laps to go 2nd & 3rd till Pin put herself back up to 2nd till Weug stole it and dropping Pin to 3rd. 
As the last 10 minutes of the session counted down the timing board was constantly changing with the exception of Pulling who held the top spot till the end of the session extending her lead almost every lap she did till she finally set a 1'59.237 and ending the day how she means to start the day tomorrow. The Tommy Hilfiger car of Marti was 2nd fastest till Pin put herself 2nd and just 2 tenths behind Championship leader Pulling. Chambers finished the session strong going 4th with Lia Block and Edgar finding themselves maybe not a representative 13th & 12th. 

Practice 2 Result 

1 PUL 1'59.237
2 PIN +0.200
3 MAR +0.397
4 CHA +0.444
5 NOB +0.488
6 WEU +0.553
7 BUS +0.555
8 AAL +0.806
9 DEH +1.007
10 HAL +1.062
11 HAU +1.084
12 LOV +1.211
13 BLO +1.225
14 EDG +1.319
15 SCH +1.380
16 CRO +1.736

Joanna Blackmore 

​Writer @f1journal.co.uk