Hamilton-Alonso, emotional pulse in Mexico
In the first practice session of the Mexican Grand Prix, Red Bull demonstrated commanding speed at altitude and in the hot circuit conditions. Verstappen set the pace with a lap time of 1:19.718, keeping a clear edge over the rest of the field. Williams showed strong pace with Alex Albon securing second place, while Sergio Perez trailed by roughly two tenths, reinforcing Red Bull’s early advantage ahead of the weekend’s events.
Mexican GP free 1 highlights
As FIA rules call for a young driver in at least one free session, the opening session welcomed five new faces to Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez: Bearman, Hadjar, Doohan, Pourchaire, and Vesti. Their presence added fresh energy to the session as teams evaluated future talent alongside established names.
Carlos Sainz, who could not attend the official FIA press conference due to illness, returned to the Ferrari garage in good health and was ready to push the SF-23. A hydraulic issue briefly sidelined him on track, causing a short pause before he could rejoin with no lasting impact on his rhythm. The setback, however, highlighted the persistent mechanical challenges teams manage in practice sessions.
Hydraulic troubles briefly hampered Sainz, but he recovered to the pits and then rejoined, cutting through the session with competitive pace. The moment illustrated how even top teams face reliability puzzles during practice days at new or demanding venues.
Fernando Alonso started the session strongly before a rear wing fault forced a temporary retreat to Aston Martin’s garage. The team worked quickly to address the issue, allowing Alonso to return to action and later finish the session in a solid position. The day’s focus for Aston Martin remained on refining their upgrade package, a key part of the squad’s plan for improving performance in the latter stages of the season.
Verstappen navigated the run with resilience, avoiding major trouble while continuing to set a pace more than two tenths ahead of Perez. A minor heads-up from Perez about a loose component prompted the Red Bull pit wall to monitor the car closely, underscoring the constant balance between pushing speed and safeguarding reliability in FP1.
On social media, enthusiastic fans watched the action unfold as Verstappen and his rivals traded quick laps. The session delivered a clear message about the title fight—Verstappen remained in control, yet the competition remained tight, especially from the factory Red Bull team’s closest challengers.
The Mexican crowd watched intently as the championship leader demonstrated continued focus and discipline. Despite the pressures of leading the standings and the distractions of a home race, Verstappen kept steering the narrative with precise laps and measured risk, signaling his intent to maintain momentum across the weekend.
Ferrari faced a mixed day at the track. After solving the initial hiccup that limited Sainz’s early runs, the Madrid driver managed to turn his session around and finish with a competitive lap time, placing him in the fight for a solid result on the Mexican circuit. This performance provided a familiar dynamic in the midfield where teams like Ferrari and McLaren sought to recover from earlier missteps and reclaim ground on the leaders.
New talent did not disappoint. Theo Pourchaire endured a difficult session due to a power unit fault that left him stationary in the pits for the majority of the session. Oliver Bearman and Isack Hadjar, taking turns at the wheel for Haas and AlphaTauri, respectively, delivered noteworthy performances for their first experiences with the circuit, highlighting the value of youth in Formula One’s ongoing development program.
Mexican GP. Free 1 results:
1. Max Verstappen (Red Bull) 1:19.718
2. Alexander Albon (Williams) at 0.095
3. Sergio Pérez (Red Bull) at 0.297
4. Lando Norris (McLaren) at 0.519
5. Charles Leclerc (Ferrari) at 0.579
6. Oscar Piastri (McLaren) at 0.750
7. Carlos Sainz (Ferrari) at 0.761
8. Daniel Ricciardo (AlphaTauri) at 0.850
9. Esteban Ocon (Alpine) at 0.959
10. Lance Stroll (Aston Martin) at 0.969
11. Lewis Hamilton (Mercedes) at 1.006
12. Nico Hülkenberg (Haas) at 1.250
13. Guanyu Zhou (Alfa Romeo) at 1.411
14. Logan Sargeant (Williams) at 1.439
15. Oliver Bearman (Haas) at 1.595
16. Fernando Alonso (Aston Martin) at 1:21.347
17. Isack Hadjar (AlphaTauri) at 2.223
18. Jack Doohan (Alpine) at 2.391
19. Frederik Vesti (Mercedes) at 3.219
20. Theo Pourchaire (Alfa Romeo) ST