verstappen dominates fp2 in mexico piastri disappoints

Verstappen sets hefty benchmark in FP2

Max Verstappen was fastest in the second free practice for the Mexican Grand Prix. He set a time of 1m17.392s. This meant he was 0.153s faster than Charles Leclerc. The Red Bull driver drove only one qualifying simulation and then went back for a longer race session.

Floor upgrade and grip problems

Red Bull carried another floor upgrade. The team described the part as a ‘make-from’ update, made from a previously used floor part. During the longer runs, Verstappen complained of little grip. He said: ‘I have no grip. It feels like I'm driving on ice.’ On the rear wing was flow-vis paint to assess airflow.

McLaren and Piastri

Oscar Piastri, frontrunner in the championship, did not get beyond spot 12. This is notable as he leads the championship and still has a buffer in points. Piastri and his teammate Lando Norris drove their race simulations on soft tyres, while many competitors ran on mediums. Norris improved strongly and finished fourth, but Piastri fell short of expectations.

Brief account of the rest

Kimi Antonelli was surprisingly close to the top, finishing third, but he reported early in the session that he suddenly lost drive and got a ‘limp home’ message. Mercedes and Ferrari showed mixed signals: Lewis Hamilton and George Russell were fifth and sixth respectively. Yuki Tsunoda completed the top seven for Red Bull.

Aston Martin recorded two top-10 places: Fernando Alonso was eighth and Lance Stroll 10th. Between them, Carlos Sainz set a strong time for Williams. Alex Albon hit the wall at turn ten and as a result did not move beyond spot 19. Williams and Aston Martin seemed to have slightly more margin compared to the rest of the midfield.

Key points

• Verstappen fastest with 1m17.392s.
• Leclerc and Antonelli followed a short distance behind.
• Piastri disappointing 12th; Norris fourth.
• Red Bull with floor upgrade, Verstappen complains of lack of grip.
• Aston Martin and Williams show good single-lap space.

Results FP2

• 1 Max Verstappen (Red Bull) - 1m17.392s
• 2 Charles Leclerc (Ferrari) - +0.153s
• 3 Kimi Antonelli (Mercedes) - +0.174s
• 4 Lando Norris (McLaren) - +0.251s
• 5 Lewis Hamilton (Ferrari) - +0.300s
• 6 George Russell (Mercedes) - +0.437s
• 7 Yuki Tsunoda (Red Bull) - +0.491s
• 8 Fernando Alonso (Aston Martin) - +0.546s
• 9 Carlos Sainz (Williams) - +0.547s
• 10 Lance Stroll (Aston Martin) - +0.562s
• 11 Liam Lawson (Racing Bulls) - +0.826s
• 12 Oscar Piastri (McLaren) - +0.840s
• 13 Esteban Ocon (Haas) - +0.874s
• 14 Isack Hadjar (Racing Bulls) - +0.889s
• 15 Gabriel Bortoleto (Sauber) - +0.931s
• 16 Nico Hülkenberg (Sauber) - +0.956s
• 17 Ollie Bearman (Haas) - +1.050s
• 18 Franco Colapinto (Alpine) - +1.329s
• 19 Alex Albon (Williams) - +1.463s
• 20 Pierre Gasly (Alpine) - +1.802s