Russell Leads Mexico FP1 as Albon, Bearman Collision Stuns

Russell tops Mexico’s FP1 session, marked by collisions and Verstappen’s unexpected engine issues in his Red Bull.

The Mexican Grand Prix got underway with Free Practice 1 at the Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez. It was a productive session, marked by the presence of five rookies on track, covering half of the teams required to field a young driver.

McLaren’s Lando Norris handed over his seat to Mexican driver Patricio O’Ward, while Charles Leclerc’s Ferrari was driven by Oliver Bearman. Andrea Kimi Antonelli took the wheel of Lewis Hamilton’s Mercedes, Felipe Drugovich stepped in for Fernando Alonso in the Aston Martin, and Robert Shwartzman replaced Guanyu Zhou in the Stake team.

In terms of car updates, Red Bull brought a specially designed engine cover and front brake ducts tailored for the Mexico circuit. Ferrari introduced unique engine cooling vents to counter the high-altitude challenges.

McLaren finally presented its long-anticipated floor upgrade, a significant alteration that could help the team regain stability and ease of handling. Williams arrived with a circuit-specific beam wing and engine cover, while RB F1 deployed a revised floor and an adapted engine cover specifically for the Mexican circuit.

The session began under scorching sun but was quickly red-flagged due to debris encountered by Antonelli. Given that the debris was located in an area where cars reach speeds over 350 km/h, the precautionary red flag was promptly issued.

Once resumed, Alex Albon, followed by George Russell and Carlos Sainz, took turns at the top of the timesheets as all drivers returned to the track. Sainz set the benchmark with a time of 1:19.408 on hard tyres. Antonelli’s Mercedes was undamaged, allowing him to continue his run.

However, the session was again disrupted when Albon lost control, colliding with Bearman’s Ferrari. The Williams ended up in the TecPro barriers, while the Ferrari was forced to stop on track with a damaged left-front wheel.

Marshals took several minutes to repair the TecPro barriers and clear the track. Race control announced an investigation into the incident, which will be conducted post-session. Additionally, Shwartzman is under review for overtaking under yellow flag conditions.

Yuki Tsunoda initially led with a time of 1:19.317, but was swiftly overtaken by Carlos Sainz, who set a lap of 1:18.573 as all drivers switched to soft tyres. George Russell then went faster with a 1:17.998, while Max Verstappen, Oscar Piastri, and Sergio Pérez slotted in ahead of Tsunoda, with Nico Hülkenberg taking fourth position.

Tsunoda climbed back to third, Esteban Ocon secured seventh just ahead of Valtteri Bottas, and Franco Colapinto made his way into the top 10. Antonelli and Liam Lawson closed in just outside the top 10.

Towards the end of the session, Verstappen encountered engine trouble in his Red Bull, reporting the issue over the radio before returning to the pits at a slow pace. Should Red Bull need to replace parts, Verstappen may face a grid penalty.

As the session wound down, drivers shifted their focus to long runs, assessing tyre degradation and exploring the handling of hard tyres on a circuit where grip is notably reduced due to the high-altitude, thin air.

Russell concluded the session on top, followed by Sainz and Tsunoda. Verstappen placed fourth, with Hülkenberg, Piastri, Ocon, Bottas, Lawson, and Pérez rounding out the top 10.

Among the rookies, Antonelli finished 12th ahead of O’Ward, Drugovich took 18th, followed by Shwartzman and Bearman, who only managed seven laps before his collision with Albon. Albon himself was classified 17th, also with just seven laps completed.

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Verstappen Faces Engine Woes in Eventful Mexico FP1 Verstappen Faces Engine Woes in Eventful Mexico FP1