Leclerc Back on Track After Positive FP2 Session in Mexico

Ferrari’s drivers Sainz and Leclerc reflect on promising sessions, eyeing further progress ahead of the crucial Mexican Grand Prix qualifying.

Carlos Sainz Sets the Fastest Time on Day One of the Mexican Grand Prix

Ferrari’s Carlos Sainz topped the timesheets on the first day of practice for the Mexican Grand Prix. The Spanish driver welcomed this result and is optimistic about continuing to make progress ahead of qualifying.

“Overall, it’s been a positive day as I managed to complete our programme and work on the car’s balance and setup, particularly during the first free practice session,” Sainz commented.

“In the second session, we had to run with the C4 compound, and we gathered valuable data, especially on race pace. The third free practice will be crucial for fine-tuning the car for qualifying, as there’s still some room for improvement, but today’s start is encouraging.”

Charles Leclerc, having loaned his car to Oliver Bearman for FP1, was back behind the wheel in the afternoon, although following the programme proved challenging: “It was good, but FP2 was complicated for everyone with the red flag caused by George at the start of the session.”

“On paper, skipping FP1 made sense since we had 1 hour 30 minutes in FP2, but in the end, it wasn’t ideal as we couldn’t complete the laps we wanted. However, the feeling is good; we were immediately on pace, and the long runs were positive, so it was encouraging.”

Despite Bearman’s incident in FP1, Leclerc’s SF-24 suffered minimal damage, allowing him to run without further issues: “It was an easy fix; there was no significant damage. We had a small issue before FP2, but it wasn’t related to the incident.”

Bearman expressed regret over his clash with Alex Albon, as he had hoped for more time on track: “Unfortunately, the first free practice didn’t go as planned today, as our session was cut short due to an incident with Alex.”

“It’s a shame because this circuit is interesting, and I was looking forward to gaining more experience behind the wheel of the SF-24, but these things happen and are part of racing. I’m eager to see what our team can achieve in qualifying tomorrow.”