Source – Formula1.com
A heavy accident for George Russell raised concerns during a practice session that was extended from 60 to 90 minutes to test Pirelli’s 2025 prototype tire, while Carlos Sainz led the timesheets during the second practice before the Mexico City Grand Prix.
Pirelli’s second practice session at the Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez offered plenty of action and challenges as each Formula 1 team adhered to a dedicated tire testing program on the C4, C5, and C6 compounds. The session, extended to 90 minutes, gave each team a run plan that balanced two fast laps with two longer runs for each car to supply Pirelli with crucial data on the tire compounds. For those drivers who sat out FP1, the session also included an additional 30 minutes to allow them to build valuable track experience using the standard medium tire. McLaren’s Lando Norris was the first to take to the track when the lights turned green, leading an eager pack ready to make the most of the additional running time.
Sergio Perez soon followed, greeted with roaring cheers from his home fans, though his excitement was tempered by an unexpected issue, as he reported a “stiff” brake pedal early in the session. Max Verstappen, coming off engine issues in FP1, also encountered an unusual “weird noise” that led him to radio the Red Bull pit wall. While Verstappen’s engine issues seemed to have carried over, further complications required him to box shortly after reporting a “disturbing” sound, forcing Red Bull to take a closer look. Meanwhile, Norris, Sainz, and other early drivers pressed forward with their runs as teams observed initial feedback from the demanding Mexico City circuit.
However, the first red flag of the session soon waved when Mercedes’ George Russell suffered a hard collision at Turn 9, having taken too much curb at Turn 8. The crash sidelined Russell for the remainder of the session, though he walked away from the incident unscathed and was taken to the medical center as a precaution. During the ensuing pause, Red Bull examined Verstappen’s RB20 as concerns over its engine issues lingered. When the session resumed with just over 50 minutes left, Verstappen continued to experience problems, returning to the pits with the same engine issue, leaving Red Bull’s technical team with a major task ahead of FP3.
The session continued to offer suspense, with Alex Albon absent from the track as Williams worked to repair his car following a dramatic FP1 collision with Ferrari’s Ollie Bearman. The red flag and Russell’s crash highlighted the unpredictable nature of the day, but the intensity soon shifted back to the track as drivers capitalized on the reduced time to secure competitive lap times.
With 30 minutes left, Carlos Sainz established himself as the fastest man on track, setting a lap of 1m 17.699s on the C4 tire compound, holding a lead of 0.178s over Oscar Piastri in second place. While the emphasis was on tire testing, the competitive spirit was hard to miss, with Norris and Fernando Alonso briefly engaging in some spirited wheel-to-wheel racing, adding excitement to the testing-heavy session.
As the clock wound down, Zhou Guanyu, Norris, Alonso, Lewis Hamilton, and Charles Leclerc – all drivers who had handed their cars to rookies in FP1 – returned on medium tires, aiming to challenge Sainz’s lap time. However, none could outpace the Ferrari driver, who remained at the top of the timesheets until the checkered flag. Behind him, Piastri and Yuki Tsunoda rounded out the top three, with Leclerc and Norris completing the top five. Haas’s Kevin Magnussen put in an impressive sixth-place performance, followed by Hamilton, Bottas, Perez, and rookie Liam Lawson in the top 10.
Alonso finished in 11th, ahead of Nico Hulkenberg, Esteban Ocon, Lance Stroll, and Franco Colapinto, the latter completing Williams’ data collection in Albon’s absence. Pierre Gasly settled into 16th for Alpine, followed by Zhou Guanyu for Kick Sauber. Russell, after his early crash, was classified in 18th, while Verstappen and Albon, with their track time limited, concluded the session at the bottom of the timesheets.
With the extended practice now concluded, drivers and teams will regroup to analyze the data gathered on the various tire compounds and address any mechanical concerns ahead of Saturday’s final practice session. As the competition heats up on the Mexican track, fans can look forward to another high-stakes day, with FP3 set for 11:30 local time and the battle for pole position kicking off at 14:00.
