F1 organizers commissioned Hard Rock Stadium and Grand Prix managing director Tom Garfinkel to take over the relay track after the asphalt began to crack during last season’s opening race.

The well-known Tilke company was called upon to lay fresh asphalt.

This new surface helped Max Verstappen surpass FP2 with the lap record on Friday morning. His 1m 27.930s was 1.134s quicker than his 2022 pole time, although developments in the car also contributed to that.

Despite the improved performance, drivers complained of a lack of grip throughout Friday’s practice. Perez, who ran to fourth in the second quarter, likened it to running with an intermediate tire.

The Azerbaijan Grand Prix winner said: “The grip is very low there, especially in FP1.

“It feels like the interior conditions. We’re measuring the wet conditions and the interior conditions.

“I think the conditions[are why he’s struggling]. Knowing these low-grip conditions, especially what we’ve tried on FP1.”

Sergio Perez, Red Bull Racing speak to the media

Photography: Alexander Trienitz / motorsport pictures

Mercedes driver George Russell, who set the pace in the first practice, considered leaving Miami’s tarmac a “true outlier” unlike anywhere else on the calendar.

He said: “We’re going into an unknown track on Sunday and the track will be resurfaced.

“It still doesn’t perform as well as any other circuit. So, it’s a real outlier, which is cool in some ways.”

Drivers predicted the trend would continue in Miami as complaints about too few overtakes in the first round of the campaign led to spectator comments on a dull race.

At a track with 45 passes last season, drivers pointed to a lack of grip and Pirelli tires dropped marbles.

Russell continued: “The race is really hard because you can’t drive offline.

“You’ve seen some people, myself included, you take a wheel off and then you don’t have any grip.”

However, the drivers do expect the track to develop a lot faster and grip better throughout the weekend, but the situation remains “tricky and nasty” according to Nico Hulkenberg, who lost his rear bump into a wall in FP1.

Meanwhile, Lewis Hamilton added: “The grip on this new track is really low.

“It was interesting to see some of the downsides. It was slippery, especially the rear end.

“A lot of people, myself included, were constantly skidding and their tires were constantly overheating.

“We’re just trying to find a balance where the tires stay in the right place somehow, but they’re usually always above the temperature peak.”