In an eventful session which saw red flags, new liveries and rookie appearances, George Russell topped Free Practice 1 in Mexico City. In case you missed it here’s what you missed during FP1.
Rookie Apperances
This weekend was another one full of Rookie cameos in FP1. With several drivers taking on their mandatory rookie sessions. In the cars we have:
- Pato O’Ward, the hometown favourite, took the wheel of Lando Norris’s McLaren.
- Ollie Bearman, Haas-bound for next season, replaced Charles Leclerc in the Ferrari.
- Kimi Antonelli, filled in for Lewis Hamilton, similarly to next season
- Felipe Drugovich stepped in for Fernando Alonso’s Aston Martin.
- Robert Shwartzman took over Zhou Guanyu’s Sauber.
Altitude and Aerodynamic Challenges
Mexico City’s high altitude presented unique challenges for teams, as the thinner air impacted engine cooling and aerodynamic downforce. Many cars, notably the Aston Martins and Ferraris, were seen with rakes installed to assess how their front wings handled airflow. The Altitude will definitely be playing a major part in the race come Sunday. It will be interesting to see how teams particularly rookie drivers of Lawson and Colapinto manage these tough conditions.
This weekend’s FP1 also fed into an extended FP2 session, as Pirelli’s tyre test added an additional half an hour to the schedule. This timing meant teams would need to capitalise on FP1 to lay the groundwork for setup refinements, with all 20 drivers returning to the track for the tyre test.
Session Highlights and Red Flags
The session started with drama, as debris on track led to an early red flag just five minutes in. The replays showed that Kimi Antonelli in the Mercedes had driven straight over it, consequently putting the debris on the racing line. Max Verstappen’s car was suspected to be the source of debris, which resulted in quick repairs.
When the session resumed, George Russell quickly set the fastest time of 1:20.727s, closely followed by Sergio Perez. Antonelli set the pace, amongst the rookie drivers finishing as the fastest with an impressive P15. O’Ward and Drugovich closely trailed him, both rookies pushing to maximize their limited track time.
The Green flag conditions didn’t last long as The session soon saw more interruptions. In one notable moment, Alex Albon collided with Ollie Bearman bringing out another red flag.
Albon’s frustration was clear over the radio, and Bearman, equally confused and frustrated with the incident. Bearman’s pace had been strong up until the incident, showing promise for his future in F1, while James Vowels, team principal of Williams racing stated:
“ It’s frustrating more than anything else. Alex had to back out of it and lost the car, with the car effectively on the apex. The car doesn’t really step out there, he lifted off as he saw [Bearman] where he was going to be, but I need to understand it as no driver wants to be in the way.”
- James Vowels
Battles on Track
As FP1 resumed, Russell continued his quick pace, eventually setting a blistering 1:17.998. With 20 minutes remaining in the session, the only driver that would come close to his time is Carlos Sainz in the Ferrari, begging the question, ‘will it be a Ferrari vs Mercedes battle for the win this weekend’.
Elsewhere on track, Sainz and Verstappen gave fans some early racing as they both battled through the stadium section, to fight for track position. Both Drivers backed up to start their flying laps and it was Sainz how ended up getting the better of it, coming within 3 tenths of Russell’s fastest time.
Verstappen and Red Bull faced some issues towards the end of the session, with the Dutch driver reporting engine issues late in the session. With a lack of power, Verstappen made his way back to the pits and would not partake in the remainder of FP1.
Mclaren upgrades
This weekend in Mexico, Mclaren will be bringing upgrades to the car of Lando Norris in the form of a new floor. Pato O’ward ran the floor in FP1, to compare it to the times and sectors of Oscar Piastri who will not have the upgrades this weekend. The Mclaren team are still contemplating wether to use it throughout the race or not, it will likely be decided forllowing FP3 tomorrow. However, Oscar Piatsri despite being P6 did not enjoy track conditions, labelling it as “all pretty terrible still.”
Rookie Standings
Kimi Antonelli led the rookies, ending the session in P15, only 2.7 seconds behind his future teammate, Russell. Thus, showcasing his pace despite his inexperience at this level. Close behind, Pato O’Ward finished an impressive P11 with a 1:19.295, the result of McLaren’s updated floor design, which the team tested extensively for potential use in the main race. O’Ward’s performance, combined with his fan support, gave McLaren a positive start to the weekend, while Drugovich and Shwartzman stayed close, each rookie looking to maximise their track time and impact.
Traffic dilemma
Something that will be notable during qualifying is the traffic going into the stadium section of the track and the final laps. With every driver slowing down in order to gain track position and get a clean start to their ap, it can and will catch out drivers on faster laps or those needing an extra push lap. As always, Qualifying in Mexico look to be interesting, and there may even be some unexpected contenders for this race.
George Russell tops the times
As the session was completed, George Russell held onto the top spot with his 1:17.998, securing P1 over Sainz and an eye-catching P3 from Yuki Tsunoda. Russell’s three purple sectors are hope for Mercedes’ to recover after a challenging race in COTA.
Formula 1 will be back for the Pirreli tyre test in FP2!
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