The second practice session at the Mexican Grand Prix got off to an exciting start, with several drivers taking turns in the top spot. Daniel Ricciardo, Lando Norris, Max Verstappen, and Alex Albon all enjoyed brief spells leading the field during the one-hour session. Verstappen, in particular, made a strong impression by setting a blistering lap time of 1m19.511s on the standard 2023 Pirelli C4 mediums. This benchmark stood as the fastest lap for the initial part of the session, despite Verstappen’s switch to the prototype tires later on.
Oscar Piastri made a statement midway through the session when he switched to the soft compound tires. With a time of 1m19.163s, Piastri claimed the top spot and showcased his skill on the red-walled rubber. Other drivers followed suit and opted for the softs for their qualifying simulation runs in the next 10 minutes. The battle for pole position was intensifying.
Fernando Alonso provided a moment of drama as he spun out of Turn 9 with 25 minutes remaining on the clock. The Spaniard pushed too hard over the inside kerbs, causing his rear end to swing around violently. Alonso pirouetted across the full straight leading to Turn 10. Fortunately, there was no serious damage, but it certainly brought some excitement to the session.
Verstappen quickly regained control after Alonso’s spin, setting a blistering lap time of 1m18.686s. His Red Bull teammate, Sergio Perez, initially struggled to improve on his personal best while running on the prototype medium tires. However, Perez managed to climb up the order with a time of 1m18.988s, securing a respectable position but still 0.302s off the pace set by Verstappen.
Valtteri Bottas and Charles Leclerc joined the fight for the top positions by displacing Perez on the leaderboard. Bottas secured the third spot, while Leclerc claimed fourth. These two drivers were among the last to set a time on the soft compound tires, giving them an advantage as the timing of their runs coincided with the impending rain.
As dark clouds loomed over the Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez, rain returned to the track in the final minutes of FP2. Initially light, the rain increased steadily but didn’t reach a point where teams needed to consider pitting or switching to intermediate tires. With just over 15 minutes remaining, the teams shifted their focus to high-fuel long runs, completing their preparations for the race.
The rain disrupted any chance for the top five positions to change. Verstappen held on to his commanding lead, followed by Piastri, Bottas, Leclerc, and Perez, who rounded out the top five. Ricciardo claimed sixth place, narrowly ahead of Lewis Hamilton, who showed promising pace in the final sector but landed 0.338s behind Verstappen. Esteban Ocon, George Russell, and Carlos Sainz completed the top ten.
Not all drivers had a smooth session. Lance Stroll encountered problems with the left-front of his Aston Martin, keeping him confined to the pits for most of FP2’s second half. Alonso, on the other hand, ended up in 20th place after his spin forced him to switch to long-running to salvage his qualifying simulation effort. Albon faced an issue with his car’s underfloor aerodynamics, prompting Williams to inspect his vehicle at the end of the session.
With the first day of practice complete, teams and drivers got a taste of the fierce battle that awaits them at the Mexican Grand Prix. Verstappen’s dominance cemented Red Bull’s position as the team to beat, while Piastri showcased his potential with an impressive performance. As the rain adds an element of unpredictability, drivers will need to adapt their strategies and capitalize on every opportunity to secure a favorable starting position for Sunday’s race.
The second practice session at the Mexican Grand Prix provided fans with thrilling moments and an intense battle for the top spot. Verstappen and Piastri emerged as frontrunners, setting the stage for an exciting qualifying session. As the teams prepare for a challenging race, the unpredictable weather and the ever-present competition will surely keep us on the edge of our seats.
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