Mexican Grand Prix – Free Practice 2: Sainz sets the fastest time, Verstappen stopped
Carlos Sainz set the fastest time in a particular Free Practice 2 session during the Mexican Grand Prix, dedicated to Pirelli tire tests for the 2025 season. Facing issues with his car, Max Verstappen did not get much running and could be facing a penalty. Involved in an accident, George Russell caused a red flag.
This free practice session 2 did not promise to provide much information for the rest of the Grand Prix at the Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez. Usually lasting an hour, these FP2 sessions were extended by thirty minutes so that Pirelli could collect information. The tire manufacturer has indeed provided rubber compounds that are expected to be used during the 2025 season.
During the last half-hour of this session, only five drivers were able to equip their single-seaters with medium tires that can be used during the rest of the weekend: Charles Leclerc, Lando Norris, Lewis Hamilton, Guanyu Zhou, and Fernando Alonso. The latter did not drive during FP1, lending their cars to young drivers (Oliver Bearman, Patricio O’Ward, Andrea Kimi Antonelli, Robert Shwartzman, and Felipe Drugovich). However, they only put on these tires during the last ten minutes, and Charles Leclerc did not even have time to set a reference time.
It was ultimately his teammate Carlos Sainz who set the fastest time in these free practice 2 sessions. The Ferrari driver posted a time of 1:17.699 ahead of Oscar Piastri (McLaren) and Yuki Tsunoda (Racing Bulls). Note the new top 10 position for Valtteri Bottas as Sauber is still looking for its first points of the 2024 season.
Russell in the wall, Verstappen in the pits
The session, initially scheduled to last 90 minutes, was finally shortened by 20 minutes. George Russell, fastest in FP1 with a time of 1:17.998, violently collided with the Tecpro barriers after losing control of his Mercedes, resulting in a red flag.
So little information on the performances can emerge from this session, it can bring doubt within the Red Bull team. After complaining of an issue with his engine and then his brakes, Max Verstappen was called back to the pit without having set a timed lap. His engineers had to then remove the floor of his car to find a solution to the problems encountered by the Dutch driver. Therefore, modifications may be necessary and the championship leader could face a penalty for Sunday’s race.
Note that Alex Albon, who was involved in a collision with Ollie Bearman in FP1, did not drive.
The ranking of the session
| N° | Driver | Team | Times | Gap | Laps |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Sainz | Scuderia Ferrari | 1:17.699 | 34 | |
| 2 | Piastri | McLaren F1 Team | 1:17.877 | +0.178 | 30 |
| 3 | Tsunoda | Visa Cash App RB F1 Team | 1:17.878 | +0.179 | 30 |
| 4 | Leclerc | Scuderia Ferrari | 1:17.887 | +0.188 | 31 |
| 5 | Norris | McLaren F1 Team | 1:17.948 | +0.249 | 36 |
| 6 | Magnussen | MoneyGram Haas F1 Team | 1:18.239 | +0.540 | 34 |
| 7 | Hamilton | Mercedes-AMG Petronas Motorsport | 1:18.279 | +0.580 | 36 |
| 8 | Bottas | Stake F1 Team | 1:18.351 | +0.652 | 32 |
| 9 | Perez | Oracle Red Bull Racing | 1:18.392 | +0.693 | 32 |
| 10 | Lawson | Visa Cash App RB F1 Team | 1:18.560 | +0.861 | 29 |
| 11 | Alonso | Aston Martin Aramco Cognizant F1 Team | 1:18.579 | +0.880 | 35 |
| 12 | Hülkenberg | MoneyGram Haas F1 Team | 1:18.621 | +0.922 | 34 |
| 13 | Ocon | BWT Alpine F1 Team | 1:18.656 | +0.957 | 30 |
| 14 | Stroll | Aston Martin Aramco Cognizant F1 Team | 1:18.890 | +1.191 | 34 |
| 15 | Colapinto | Williams Racing | 1:18.908 | +1.209 | 30 |
| 16 | Gasly | BWT Alpine F1 Team | 1:18.942 | +1.243 | 30 |
| 17 | Guanyu | Stake F1 Team | 1:18.980 | +1.281 | 37 |
| 18 | Russell | Mercedes-AMG Petronas Motorsport | 1:19.041 | +1.342 | 4 |
| 19 | Verstappen | Oracle Red Bull Racing | – | 4 | |
| 20 | Albon | Williams Racing | – | 0 |
