George Russell set the fastest time in first practice for the Mexico City Grand Prix after championship leader Max Verstappen suffered an engine problem.
Alex Albon had a big crash in his Williams after a tangle with Oliver Bearman, which forced the session to be interrupted, but Russell was 0.317 seconds faster than Ferrari’s Carlos Sainz, giving Mercedes a perfect start.
Near the end of practice, Verstappen reported on the team radio that he had “no power”, causing concern at Red Bull, and he limped back to the pit lane, missing the final five minutes, but was second only to running back Yuki Tsunoda. He finished the session in 4th place.
Verstappen would have received a grid penalty if his car had been fitted with a new engine, but he lost time early in the session when he was hit by debris, leading to a brief red flag.
The Dutchman holds a 57-point lead over Lando Norris in the Drivers’ Championship with five races remaining, but McLaren will not accept the five-second time penalty Norris received in last Sunday’s dramatic American Grand Prix. We are working to overturn it. As a result, he fell behind Verstappen.
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Sky F1’s Karun Chandhok was on Skypad to assess whether Lando Norris should be given a penalty for overtaking title rival Max Verstappen at the American Grand Prix.
Norris did not take part in the first training session at Autodromo Hermanos Rodríguez. That’s because McLaren and four other teams have opted to have a new driver in one of their cars as part of a mandatory requirement for new drivers to take part in at least two practice sessions. season.
IndyCar star Pato O’Ward drove a Norris car in front of home fans, while Andrea Kimi Antonelli took over Lewis Hamilton’s Mercedes before replacing the seven-time world champion next year.
Antonelli had a clean session and finished 12th, ahead of O’Ward, followed by fellow rookies Felipe Drugovic, Robert Schwartzman and Bearman.
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Kimi Antonelli, who was substituting for Lewis Hamilton in opening practice, collided with debris from the Mercedes when the red flag was brought out.
Bearman tangle causes dramatic crash for Albon
Bearman, who replaced Charles Leclerc at Ferrari, was involved in a dramatic crash with Albon during the first practice session in Mexico City.
Albon was on a flying lap, but lost control of his car in the high-speed middle sector of Turn 9, cornering Bearman on the exit of the corner.
The Williams driver’s left rear tire went into the air, but remained attached to the car by a tether when Albon spun into the barrier at Turn 10 and immediately called Bearman an “idiot” on the radio.
Williams team principal James Bolles said: Sky Sports F1: “It’s frustrating. We need to see the reason behind it. Alex had to back out from there and lost the car at the apex.
“The car wasn’t even out of the way. He saw the other car, so he stood up.” [Bearman].
“If the chassis is okay, FP2 will be okay. If the chassis is damaged, it becomes a little more critical in terms of time.” [to repair]. ”
Williams will race late on Friday to get its cars ready for second practice at 11pm in England, but the session has been extended to 90 minutes to allow Pirelli to test tires for next year.
Sky Sports F1 Mexico City GP Live Schedule
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A look back at some of the most dramatic moments that happened at the Mexico City Grand Prix.
Friday, October 25th
9pm: F1 Show
10:45pm: Mexico City GP Practice 2 (session starts at 11pm)*
Saturday, October 26th
6:15pm: Mexico City GP Practice 3 (session starts at 6:30pm)
9pm: Mexico City GP qualifying build-up*
10pm: Mexico City GP Qualifying*
Sunday, October 27th
6:30pm: Grand Prix Sunday: Mexico City GP Build-up*
8pm: Mexico City Grand Prix*
10pm: Checkered flag: Mexico City GP reaction
*Also broadcast live on Sky Sports Main Event (Race build-up from 7.30pm on Sunday)
F1’s America’s Triple Header continues this weekend with the Mexico City Grand Prix, with all sessions being broadcast live on Sky Sports F1. Stream every F1 race and more with a NOW Sports Month membership – cancel anytime with no contract
