Free Training 2 in Mexico, broken: more difficult and unknown for everyone in front of the classification

Teams and drivers arrived in qualifying Saturday of Formula 1 Mexican GP between doubts and unknowns still not resolved and there is a lot of work to do in Free Practice 3 which will be key. All because of one hard first day which meant that the teams did not complete much of the work planned to draw conclusions about the configurations of their cars.

That added more excitement and uncertainty to the battle, but it was at a cost a soporific friday, with very little representative action, full of hollow laps in Free Practice 2 where a Pirelli test was conducted with tires unknown to the public and without additional information or emotion.

In Free Practice 1 there are two red flags: the first one, because Antonelli pass through a piece that is in circuit, and the second, due to an accident Albon with the beginner bearman. Added to that was that some ‘roosters’ did not drive in Free Practice 1 due to the teams’ obligation to provide two free practice sessions of the course to young talents, and many opted for Mexico.

Hamilton, Leclerc, Norris, Alonso and Zhou did not ride in FP1 for this reason and They had to make the most of Free Practice 2 after the first session where those on the tarmac were also unable to complete their long-term simulation due to delays.

A soporific FP2 with no basic data

however, The second session was a disaster for engineers of all groups. An accident 13 minutes into Free Practice 2 George Russell, crashing into the wall, generated a red flag and the session did not resume until there were 53 minutes remaining. (of a total hour and a half).

He The initial plan was clear: 30 minutes for a Pirelli wheel test and an hour for the normal work of a Grand Prix. But that happened The test was extended and left the teams and drivers with the same doubts as when they startedas they continue to ride with experimental tires.

And so, with nothing at stake, until the last 5 minutes, where Alonso was the first to take the center tire.

Finally, Only Leclerc, Hamilton, Norris, Alonso and Zhou put on the GP wheel, the medium. Alonso had the most turns with Lando in that combination, with a total of 4to provide information to their engineers. But too few turns to draw conclusions. Also, nobody used soft in FP2. So, the doubts are bigger.

Sainz, the fastest in Free Practice 2

There are several conclusions that can be drawn. Carlos Sainz started on the right foot, with the 2nd best time in Free Practice 1 and was fastest in Free Practice 2 on experimental rubber. Meanwhile, Red Bull didn’t start well for engine problems (Friday engine, which has no influence on the rest of the weekend) that Max Verstappen had in Free Practice 1rode less than desired, and went on to Free Practice 2, something that left him with only 4 Pirelli test laps while the others reached 30 or close to it.

But a little more. Teams and drivers need to focus on some Free 3 keys to find the best balance and setup on your vehicles. It can be especially complicated for McLaren, as it opens up new territory. Can Ferrari continue to dominate like it did in Austin? Can Red Bull and McLaren win? Can Mercedes join that battle? Can Aston Martin improve once the data from the premiere of your new package of pieces in Austin has been analyzed? ?RB will be as competitive as seen today in Tsunoda, is that the 3rd in the same session? The answer to those questions will be given by the qualifying session, the real fire.

What happened this Friday, in theory, was not very beneficial, like a flat stage of the tour without a final sprint for the spectators that followed it on television, without any incentive or emotion, certainly did not want the owners of F1, Liberty Media. Of course, the thousands of fans who filled the stands of the Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez were thoroughly satisfied, as always. On that track, no matter what happens, joy is guaranteed.