What the teams said – Friday in Mexico City

Ferrari

Bearman’s FP1 outing didn’t go to plan, the youngster hit by Albon’s Williams and forced to park up early on. He had been trying to get out of the way of the Williams, but was just in the wrong place at the wrong time. Sainz at least showed some promise in second place, but he was three tenths back from Russell in the opening session. That promise was converted into P1 in the second session on a very good day for the Spaniard. Leclerc was a few places and a couple of tenths further back, but considering he sat out FP1 and lost some running time whilst his car was repaired, P4 was still a strong session.

Charles Leclerc - FP2: 1:17.887, P4

"It was a tricky day from my side. It was planned for me to miss FP1, which was a good one to miss on paper, as we thought we would make up for it in FP2 given that it was 30 minutes longer than usual. Unfortunately, we didn’t get that extra running time to make up for it due to the red flag after George’s (Russell) incident at the start of FP2.

"Things like this can happen, now we are already focused on maximising our result in qualifying as starting positions are crucial on this track. The pace was there from the start and I felt comfortable in the car, so let’s see what position we can secure tomorrow."

Oliver Bearman - FP1: 1:21.256, P20

"Unfortunately, FP1 did not go as we expected today as our session was cut short after an incident with Alex (Albon). It’s a shame, because this track is an interesting one and I was looking forward to gaining some more experience in the SF-24, but these things happen and they are part of racing. I'm looking forward to seeing what our team can do in qualifying tomorrow."

Carlos Sainz - FP1: 1:18.315, P2; FP2: 1:17.699, P1

"Overall it was a positive day as I was able to complete our programme and work on car balance and the set-up, especially in FP1. In the second session we had to run the C4 compound and we collected good data, particularly on race pace. FP3 will be very important to fine tune the car for qualifying as we still have some margin for improvement, but today's start was encouraging."

Mercedes

Antonelli had a much better FP1 outing than he managed at Monza, although he did run over some debris early on, which required a lengthy stay in the garage to check his floor. As for Russell, he showed serious pace from the word go, with the car looking quick out of the box. But from the highs of FP1 came the lows of FP2, Russell crashing into the barriers earlier on after losing control over the kerbs. He managed to do a serious amount of damage to his car, but fortunately was released swiftly from the Medical Centre. As for Hamilton, he only managed one flying lap on the 2024 tyres late on, so will be keen to try the other compounds tomorrow.

WATCH: Russell triggers red flag with heavy crash during second Mexico practice

Lewis Hamilton – FP2: 1:18.279, P7

"It was great to see Kimi do a really solid job for the team in FP1. It’s been enjoyable working with and supporting him ahead of the session and the programme he carried out set us up well for the afternoon. It’s not always easy to get straight up to speed having missed that opening practice but I got a good feeling from the car in FP2.

"With the tyre test, we couldn’t change anything on the car during the session. The red flag following George’s crash almost meant we lost a decent chunk of running time. Nevertheless, I feel like we got a lot of good information to work through and utilise this evening as we look to make improvements for the rest of the weekend."

George Russell - FP1: 1:17.998, P1; FP2: 1:19.041, P18

"It was a big hit, and I felt a bit winded initially. I’m OK but unfortunately the car wasn’t. I am not sure what happened. I turned into the corner, trying to cut the line similarly to how I did in FP1. I’m not sure whether it was the kerb or the car bottoming out but it bounced a little and, before I had a chance to catch it, I was already in the wall.

"There is a lot of work on for the team in the garage overnight now, unfortunately. It does feel like it is one thing after another at the moment. It is frustrating as we were strong in FP1 and topped the times. We lost out on a lot of laps in FP2 so FP3 will be important for us to get the car in a good place ahead of Qualifying and Sunday’s race."

Kimi Antonelli - FP1: 1:19.200, P12

"I wanted to deliver a clean FP1 session for the team today and I was pleased that I was able to do that. It was my first time driving the circuit here, so I stayed very much within the limit and just built my confidence lap-by-lap. Overall, it was a decent hour, and, despite the red flags, we gathered lots of data that will hopefully help the team over the rest of the weekend.

"I was also able to build my understanding of the W15 too. We ran both the Hard and Soft compound and it was good to get a mixture of consecutive running and single lap work completed. Whilst there aren’t any more FP1 sessions for me to take part in this year, I’m looking forward to continuing my programme with previous cars as we build towards 2025."

Andrew Shovlin, Trackside Engineering Director

"FP1 ran smoothly with Kimi doing a solid job as he stepped in for his second rookie session, this time alongside George. We had a busy programme to get through and, despite the interruption of two red flags, were able to complete the majority of it. George meanwhile hit the ground running and felt particularly comfortable on the Soft tyre, topping the times at the end of the hour. With the mandated Pirelli tyre test for FP2, we knew how important getting good FP1 running would be.

"That became even more true as George was unfortunate to lose the car at turn eight early in the extended FP2 session. It was a hefty shunt; fortunately, he was OK but the car fared less well. It has given us a decent amount of work to do to get the car ready for FP3 and we are already working through that. Lewis enjoyed a happier session and was comfortable with the car, although a bit frustrated that the tyre test meant he had no opportunity to work on the setup."

McLaren

O’Ward had custody of Norris’s cockpit in FP1, and the Mexican gave a solid account of himself after a clean session. As for Piastri, he was complaining about the feeling out there, with grip very much at a premium but the Aussie still managed to finish near the front. Norris came back in for FP2 with a new floor to boot, and wound up fifth overall. Piastri’s extra running helped him finish ahead of his team mate as he pushed the Ferrari of Sainz all the way – with those two likely to resume that battle tomorrow.

Lando Norris – FP2: 1:17.948, P5

“An okay start to the weekend in Mexico. I think not doing FP1 was always going to leave me with the job of getting an understanding of the tyres in the extended FP2, but overall, we’re there or thereabouts. Oscar was quick today which gives us confidence as a team going into tomorrow’s session. I feel like I’ve got a little bit of work to do, but we’ll work hard on that overnight.”

Oscar Piastri - FP1: 1:18.958, P6; FP2: 1:17.877, P2

“Friday done. It felt pretty good, and I think we made some good changes in FP2, which made a positive impact on the feeling in the car, so I’m happy with it. It was interesting to get some running in with the tyres for next year, and there were good learnings all around. We seem to be reasonably competitive, and I think we’re in good shape going into tomorrow.”

Patricio O’Ward - FP1: 1:19.295, P13

“A fabulous day today really, I very much enjoyed my FP1 outing in Mexico. The crowd was unbelievable, and I’m super happy that I was able to extract everything from the programme that the team had planned. It was great to be able to support Lando, Oscar and the team in learning and set-up, and contribute in a positive way to the weekend. I can’t wait to see what the team can do tomorrow and in the race on Sunday.”

Andrea Stella, Team Principal

“Today’s practice here in Mexico went according to plan, with Oscar and Pato at the wheel in FP1 and then Lando getting in the car for FP2. We tested all of the items we had planned, including the tyre test in FP2, aerodynamic components in FP1, and then Lando at the end had enough time to do a short Medium tyre run. It’s been a decent day, we seem to be there or thereabouts in terms of performance. At this track, however, there is always a lot to optimise which we will try to do overnight and tomorrow.

“I would also like to congratulate Pato and say well done. He drove very, very well in FP1. He contributed a lot to our testing programme, and we were very encouraged with what we saw in terms of consistency and pace, even though we didn’t necessarily seek maximum performance due to the test items we needed to go through.

“We now shift our focus to our preparation for Qualifying and the race.”

Red Bull

Neither Red Bull seemed too comfortable on the soft compound tyres in FP1, with Verstappen going on to complain about a lack of power. That issue ended his session prematurely, leaving him playing catch up in FP2. But his afternoon session started with the same issue, and after just four laps he pulled into the garage and parked up. Whatever is ailing his car, he will have to hope it can be fixed overnight. Perez at least managed some decent lap time in both sessions, but will want to move more towards the sharp end of the top 10 tomorrow.

READ MORE: 'A day to forget' – Verstappen unclear on cause of engine issues as he rues ‘useless day’ of practice in Mexico

Max Verstappen – FP1: 1:18.839, P4; FP2: No time set, P19

“Not an ideal Friday here in Mexico. We are investigating a power unit issue further, and unfortunately this cut our day short. We never really got a good run, especially in FP2, where I only did four laps. There is not much to read in to or say about the sessions today. Hopefully we are able to make some progress overnight and be in a good position for FP3 and Qualifying tomorrow."

Sergio Perez - FP1: 1:19.094, P10; FP2: 1:18.392, P9

“It is not feeling great, we have a few issues with the ride in the low speed. We still have some work to do, we are still really far from the top. The crowd is amazing here and I wish we were a little bit more competitive for them, but that is not the case unfortunately. You never know, tomorrow with the track changing anything can really happen. I hope for qualifying we are able to extract more from the car and give them something to really cheer about."

RB

It was a strong opening session for RB, with Tsunoda’s P3 one of the most eye-catching times. With Lawson in the top 10 as well, RB look pretty decent at this track – and Lawson should only improve once he gets fully to grips with another new circuit. He did slide wide at the start of FP2, but other than that, had another solid session while Tsunoda wound up P3 again. He might struggle to hold onto that position come qualifying, but the Japanese racer certainly seems in good form coming into this weekend.

READ MORE: Horner confirms Abu Dhabi post-season test chance for Tsunoda after talks with Honda

Liam Lawson - FP1: 1:19.093, P9; FP2: 1:18.560, P10

"It’s been a very positive day for the Team. We’ll find out more tomorrow, but it’s nice to see the stint we made last week is transitioning into this weekend. From our side we have a little bit more to find, but luckily, we have plenty of track time this weekend with the other session tomorrow morning to try and make the most of that. Hopefully by Quali we’ll have a car that’s in a good window to get some points."

Yuki Tsunoda - FP1: 1:18.699, P3; FP2: 1:17.878, P3

"It was a great day, finishing P3 in both sessions for the first time this year. In FP1 I felt good straight away. FP2 was the tyre test, and to be in the top three again felt good. Hopefully we can still improve and fine tune tomorrow. We’re aiming for Q3. So far, we’re top of the midfield and that’s where we want to be. Especially as we fight with Haas for P6 in the Championship. Let’s see how it goes tomorrow and we’ll keep our minds sharp. So far, it’s a good start.”

Alan Permane, Racing Director

“A very smooth and straightforward Friday for us, which is how we like them. It was obviously a different schedule as we were doing a Pirelli tyre test in FP2 along with all the other teams. In FP1, we learned what we could about the balance of one of the race tyres and did a slightly longer than usual high fuel run and then in FP2, we followed the Pirelli programme. Both drivers are pretty happy with their cars. Yuki has a small update to his floor here, which is a modification to the new specification of floor that we brought to Austin. Liam will get this version in Brazil. All is looking good and the cars are working well, so overnight we will start work on our race strategy and we look forward to seeing how the cars will perform in FP3.”

Haas

Hulkenberg picked up where he left off in Austin, looking quick for Haas over one lap on the soft tyres. Magnussen couldn’t quite keep up, but the positions were reversed in FP2 when it was the Dane who wound up in the top 10. While the true pecking order remains a bit of a mystery, Haas certainly seem to be in the conversation, which bodes well as they seek to try and score points for the fifth race in a row.

F1 EXPLAINS: Ollie Bearman, Mika Hakkinen and F1 Explains listeners live at the US Grand Prix

Nico Hulkenberg - FP1: 1:18.904, P5; FP2: 1:18.621, P12

“It was a bit of a different and unique Friday in that sense, but the car felt pretty positive, and I was competitive in FP1, while Kevin was very competitive in FP2. If we put it together, it looks like we can fight around the top 10. We’ll now try to clean up the set-up and try to find a bit more performance. We take last week’s momentum into here but it’s a different track with different conditions, so we need to work for it and earn it.”

Kevin Magnussen – FP1: 1:19.335, P14; FP2: 1:18.239, P6

“It was hard as you can’t read too much into FP2, but it didn’t seem bad so that’s the positive. The car felt good and we made improvements from FP1 to FP2, when we were running on test tyres, so we can hope the best for tomorrow. I think it’s still very tight out there, we weren’t the fastest midfield car in FP2, but I think the update seems to be working. In Mexico, here compared to last year with the cooling, it’s a very big difference, it’s much better this season. That’s a good feeling and hopefully we can be in the fight for points.”

Ayao Komatsu, Team Principal

“Friday was a bit different compared to normal of course with FP2 being an in-session Pirelli tyre test. Most of our learning came from FP1 so the feedback from drivers and what we see on the data is we have a bit to improve, but we changed the car for FP2 a little bit. Some of the changes we need to analyse, but the main thing is that FP3 is going to be critical. FP2, with different compound testing, it’s very difficult to learn precisely from. We’re not in terrible shape but we’ve got a bit more work to do, so we’re focused on FP3 now.”

Williams

Albon managed to crash heavily in FP1, lifting off when he saw Bearman’s Ferrari ahead but losing control and colliding with the youngster, before spinning off into the barriers. He thankfully walked away from the heavy hit, but the team had to work hard to get his car ready for FP2. In the end, the damage was too severe, and he was forced to watch the whole session from the sidelines. As for Colapinto, he completed plenty of laps across both sessions and looks in good shape heading into Saturday’s crunch qualifying.

WATCH: Albon and Bearman collide to bring out the red flags during FP1 in Mexico City

Alex Albon - FP1: 1:19.812, P17; FP2: No time set, P20

"It was a frustrating day today. We have a lot of work to do tomorrow but I’m hoping we’re not too far behind given FP2 was a Pirelli test, so hopefully the lack of track time today is less compromising. Regarding the incident, I think Ollie got told that I was behind him too late and tried his best to speed up into the high-speed corners, but I just caught him at the worst part of the track and there wasn’t much I could’ve done to avoid it. We’ll put it behind us as a racing incident and hopefully turn things around for tomorrow."

Franco Colapinto - FP1: 1:19.109, P11; FP2: 1:18.908, P15

"It’s been a good first day here in Mexico. We made some changes between sessions however the car felt a little bit less alive, so we’ll look at that tonight. Overall, the key today was to get used to the track and get up to speed which went well. We’re going in the right direction, so we’ll keep building tomorrow."

Sven Smeets, Sporting Director

"A day of mixed feelings. We completed the programme with Franco in FP1 gathering valuable information for tomorrow and Sunday. Unfortunately, Alex caught a slow-moving Bearman in an unfortunate spot on the track with limited options to avoid a collision. Extensive repairs were needed, and the team gave it their all to repair the car in time for FP2. We came very close but needed a few more minutes to give Alex a couple of laps at the end of FP2. Franco completed the Pirelli tyre test programme in FP2 without any problems. Tomorrow we will be focussing on giving Alex as much run time as we can while with Franco, we will be looking to gather vital data for final set-up decisions."

Aston Martin

Drugovich was driving in place of Alonso in FP1, and he had a decent session for the team although his fastest lap was compromised by traffic. Alonso came back into the fold for FP2, having recovered from the illness that kept him confined to his hotel room yesterday. On the eve of his 400th Grand Prix appearance, the Spaniard has a solid session with P11 the best he could manage on the mediums. Stroll was a few places further back, with Aston Martin looking like they might have to fight hard to make Q3 tomorrow as the midfield battles continue to entertain.

Fernando Alonso - FP2: 1:18.579, P11

"It's good to be back and I've not been feeling 100% over the last few days. Today I did feel okay in the car, but it's very physically demanding driving an F1 car. Mexico City is always a nice race weekend and of course a double celebration here with the 400 Grands Prix. In general FP2 was a mixed feeling with the tyre testing and I don't think we can have any conclusions yet. We expect a difficult weekend as it's a tough circuit for our package, but we will give it our all."

Lance Stroll - FP1: 1:19.600, P16; FP2: 1:18.890, P14

"It's been a busy day on track with the usual Friday work focussing on set-up. We ran several cross-car comparison tests to get more of an understanding of our recent updates, so we'll look through that data tonight. In terms of pace, we didn't feel especially competitive so we've got work to do ahead of Qualifying tomorrow."

Felipe Drugovich – FP1: 1:19.819, P18

"It was my first time in the AMR24 so I took a couple of laps to feel the car and get comfortable with it, especially with the wind and lower grip corners, but after that I was able to push. It was great to be back in an Formula One car. I got some good running at the end of the session, but we definitely lost out on a few laps due to the red flags. I'm happy with how it went though; I collected the data that the team needs to understand the updates and I know where I can improve for next time. Thanks again to the team for their support today - it's always a pleasure working with everyone trackside."

Alpine

Back with their usual livery, the two Alpines had a decent enough opening. Ocon wound up in the top 10, while Gasly was slightly further back after complaining that he could smell something ‘cooking’ in the car. In FP2 it was Ocon’s turn to complain about a bad smell, this time coming from an overheating brake. Both drivers dropped down the order in FP2, so there is work to do if they want to recapture some of the form Gasly showed with the latest upgrades last weekend.

Esteban Ocon - FP1: 1:18.996, P7; FP2: 1:18.656, P13

“Today was a positive day, I felt comfortable in the car straight away and the grip felt much better in comparison to previous years at this track. Free Practice 1 was a good session, we were in the top 10, but of course we do not fully know the potential of others so we will continue to work hard and keep progressing the performance of our car. With the Pirelli prototype tyre test and the set run plan in Free Practice 2, it’s difficult to make too many comparisons. Even so, there is always something to learn when the car is on track and, hopefully, we can have a productive final Practice tomorrow and be in the mix ahead of Qualifying.”

Pierre Gasly - FP1: 1:19.340, P15; FP2: 1:18.942, P16

“It’s been a busy day of Practice here in Mexico City, especially with the extended session for Pirelli prototype tyre testing this afternoon. I’ve not felt completely comfortable in the car throughout the day and there are definitely a few areas we need to improve. It’s generally quite a tricky track to get right with the conditions and we made some improvements between the two sessions, which we will aim to carry forwards for tomorrow. Free Practice 3 will be important tomorrow morning, where we need to keep refining the set-up and aim to put ourselves in a decent position ahead of Qualifying.”

Kick Sauber

Shwartzman was taking part in FP1 in place of Zhou, and he found himself in immediate hot water with the stewards for overtaking under yellow flags. He earned a five-place grid drop for that one, although it remains to be seen when that might come into effect. As for Bottas, he looked quite quick in the opening hour of running and backed that up in FP2, which bodes well for the weekend. Zhou couldn’t quite show the same pace, after complaining about overheating brakes.

READ MORE: Shwartzman hit with five-place grid penalty despite not being scheduled to race after FP1 incident in Mexico

Valtteri Bottas - FP1: 1:19.048, P8; FP2: 1:18.351, P8

"I think today was positive from the first run onwards, as I had good confidence in the car. The gaps are extremely small, and the thin air means certain elements of aerodynamic efficiency are minimised, so the cars are naturally closer together - which could present an opportunity for us in the rest of the weekend. We seem quite okay on single lap pace, but still have work to do on the long runs. Now we just need to find more performance for tomorrow and see where we are."

Robert Shwartzman - FP1: 1:19.988, P19

"First of all, I’m always grateful to get time running in a Formula One car and to work closely with the Team so a big thanks to Ferrari and Stake F1 Team KICK Sauber for another great opportunity. Going into the session today we had specific targets in terms of collecting data and running through as much testing as possible, but unfortunately, red flags interrupted our run plan and cut the session short. The crash happened right in front of me as I was on a push lap and I’m just glad everyone involved is okay. The car felt good overall and it's great working with the team, so it was a positive experience."

Zhou Guanyu - FP2: 1:18.980, P17

"Missing FP1 today and jumping straight into Pirelli testing with the upgraded package made it challenging, but even with limited track time, we’re in a good spot. My lap time came early in the run, so there’s plenty of room to improve as we dial in the setup. We’re not far off the pace, and with some adjustments to the balance, we can definitely improve our performance. Overall, it’s a step forward, and I’m looking forward to more racing this weekend.”

Pirelli

Simone Berra, Chief Engineer

“A very important session for us, with a packed programme: not only did we need to gather as much data as possible for the rest of the weekend, but above all, because the in-competition test was the final opportunity to finalise the compound choice, at least as far the softer compounds in the range are concerned, for the 2025 season. With 44 of the total 150 minutes that should have been available lost with the three interruptions, it definitely did not make life easy, neither for us, nor for the teams whom we must thank for their cooperation in running this test.

“As for the Mexico City race weekend, there were few surprises compared to what we had expected. First and foremost, in the first session there was practically no graining. It’s true that there were not many very long runs, but on a track where in the past, graining played a significant role, that’s already a positive sign. The track seemed quick right from the start, with times significantly faster than last year’s, while running in very similar temperatures. The performance evolution was significant, along with, in FP2, quite a drop in temperature as dusk gradually approached.

“As for the in-competition test, clearly we gathered a lot of data, as it’s not often that we have 20 cars running in the same conditions with different options being compared at the same time. That will require an accurate analysis, but the very first indications have nevertheless emerged. First of all, we can say that the new compounds generally proved to be more mechanically resistant than the current ones, which should reduce the phenomenon of graining. Digging down further into the detail, we saw some rather promising and improved C4 options, both in terms of performance and degradation. As for the C5, there are solutions that seem to contain the degradation more, while of the C6s, there is one that seems clearly better, but we need to look at how to position it compared to the C5 in the 2025 range.”