Second session of FP2 in Mexico, as per Austin, dedicated in its 90 minutes to the tests Pirelli for 2023 specs. A blind test that therefore cannot give us indications on performance. A session in which the riders tried the tires designed by the Italian supplier without knowing their characteristics . Except for i pilots who in the FP1, left their seats to the rookies, and who were able to ride in part with the 2022 compounds, i.e. Russell, Tsunoda, Magnusssen, Ocon, Albon.
The first session ended with a 1-2 Ferrari, with the best time by Carlos Sainz ahead of teammate Charles Leclerc of only a few thousandths. There Red Bull, with some grip problems for Verstappen he closed immediately behind, with the landlord Sergio Perez hopeful that he could fight to take a win in front of his home crowd. Victory that Max would not leave him lightly. Annoying the 4 contenders as always is Mercedes which brought the wing judged "illegal" by the FIA to Austin again in Mexico, but in a revised version.
The second free practice session, like the one in Austin, ends with the top 3 of the drivers who did not race during FP1, and who were able to set a time with the 2022 tyres: Russell sets the best time by printing a 1:19.970, imposing himself on Tsunoda and Ocon slower by about 1 second, with the same specification as the other two drivers or the soft.
Leclerc starts the weekend uphill
A weekend to build, or rebuild, a bit like its F1-75 for Charles Leclerc which this weekend will reach the goal of 100 Grand Prix. Just over half an hour into the session, the Monegasque ended up violently against the barriers after losing control of the car at the same point where he had lost the rear in FP1 Max Verstappen which, however, got away with a normal spin. The damages for Charles concern bottom/diffuser, rear wing, rear suspension and crash structure.
Better now than in FP3 or in other sessions, also because being Friday the team mounted old elements on the single-seater. This impact though undermined the balance of this fragile creature, as demonstrated also in theRussell-Sainz episode from last week, it should therefore not result in any penalty. Among other things, Charles had just discounted a 10-position one in Austin but the impact with the rear shouldn't bring us back on this path.
The penalties of the weekend
After Austin also in Mexico, where reliability is a sensitive issue, there will be teams that will resort to the change of components, which, being now running out, is necessarily equivalent to a penalty. The first to take a penalty on the weekend of Mexico – not counting Stroll who will already start with 3 positions adrift for the episode with Fernando Alonso in Austin – is Kevin Magnussen. A new endothermic was mounted on the pilot's Haas, and for this he will have to serve 5 positions on the starting grid.
Carlos Sainz could also join him. In Austin, Ferrari decided to cover itself by changing the turbo and endothermic on the Leclerc, to equip it with a cooler Power Unit to face the next races. The team is deciding whether to replace the turbo on the number 55 car or take the risk in Mexico to change in Brazil for the last two races of the championship. Brazil, which by the way, will host the third and final sprint of the season.
However, the problem of reliability does not only concern Ferrari, or motorized vehicles. Even at Alpine and Alfa Romeo the risk is real. Alonso changed components in Austin, and the alarm from Doohan who replaced Ocon in FP1 could convince the team to change elements on the Frenchman's car as well. Zhou Guanyu's car ended the session two minutes early. The team has in fact asked the Chinese driver to stop the car after reporting a problem. Zhou is one of the riders who had already been penalized in Austin.
Waiting to find out what Saturday will tell us with FP3 and qualifying here are all the times from FP2.
Here are all times from FP2
