Verstappen dominates Mexico City Grand Prix practice with Norris close behind

Posted : 28 October 2023

In the thrilling Friday practice session at the Mexico City Grand Prix, Red Bull's Max Verstappen showcased his prowess by topping the time sheets, leaving McLaren's Lando Norris trailing by a mere 0.119 seconds. In a closely contested field, Ferrari's Charles Leclerc came in third, just 0.147 seconds adrift.

There were a couple of unexpected contenders just outside the top three. Valtteri Bottas in the Alfa Romeo secured a fourth-place finish, while Daniel Ricciardo's Alpha Tauri impressed in sixth. Red Bull's Sergio Perez claimed the fifth spot, while Lewis Hamilton, despite his struggles with the Mercedes over one lap, managed to secure seventh place.

Hamilton, who had demonstrated a strong performance at the US Grand Prix with an upgraded car floor, expressed his challenges on the day, saying, "The car is night and day different compared to last week. You just never know what you're going to get with this one, some days she's great and some days she's not."

However, while Hamilton appeared off the pace during his qualifying simulation run, the Mercedes showed its strength in terms of race pace, with Hamilton actually outpacing Verstappen on average during his long runs.

Verstappen's performance pattern, setting his fastest lap a few laps into his high-fuel run, suggested that the Red Bull would be the car to beat in the race. Meanwhile, Norris, the fastest of all, acknowledged the challenge of racing with Verstappen, stating, "To challenge the Red Bull I think is going to be tough around here."

Verstappen shared his optimism, saying, "We look competitive so that's good, but there are always a few things to improve. Tyres are very difficult to manage in the long run, so there are still a few things to work on. It is going to be incredibly competitive over one lap."

In the session, there was one notable incident as Fernando Alonso spun at high speed in the middle of the Esses. Aston Martin's Alonso expertly recovered, avoiding any collision with the walls and swiftly continued.

The first session saw several teams utilizing their mandatory young driver outings. Among them, British talent Oliver Bearman, a member of the Ferrari driver academy, impressed in the Haas, securing the 15th fastest time. Frenchman Isack Hadjar in the Alpha Tauri secured the 17th spot, and Frenchman Theo Pourchaire had a challenging session in the Alfa Romeo, plagued by braking problems.

Verstappen dominates Mexico City Grand Prix practice with Norris close behind

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