Welcome to Total-Motorsport.com’s live blog for Free Practice 2 at the 2024 Mexico City GP from the Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez in an extended session to take into account a Pirelli tyre test.
As the teams gear up for the 2024 Mexico City GP, they face unique challenges posed by the high altitude of the Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez. The race will mark the second leg of the Americas.
The second free practice session on Friday, which will be devoted to testing Pirelli’s prototype tyres for the 2025 season. The session will be extended by 30 minutes, giving teams and drivers a full 90 minutes to evaluate the new C4, C5, and C6 compounds.
Each team will be required to follow a specific programme set by Pirelli’s engineers. Drivers will test two additional sets of tyres, one being the current compound for comparison and the other a prototype with new construction. The prototype sets will be unmarked, and teams will perform both performance and long runs.
The Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez poses a distinct challenge, as it is situated over 2,000 metres above sea level. The thin air affects the cars’ performance, reducing aerodynamic downforce, which can make cornering more difficult.
2024 Mexico City GP FP2 LIVE – Latest Updates
Stay tuned and follow along live with Total-Motorsport.com for all the news and latest updates from Free Practice 2 at the 2024 Mexico City GP.
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That’s all folks
Thank you for joining Total-Motorsport.com for live coverage of Free Practice 2 at the 2024 Mexico GP around the Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez in a dramatic session all things considered.
Formula 1 resumes with Free Practice 3 on Saturday, October 26 from 11:30-12:30 local time in Mexico. That’s 18:30 for British viewers and 04:30 (Oct 27) for Australian audiences tuning in.
Americans on PT can catch the session from 10:30am and those on the ET can tune in at 13:30pm.
Live coverage will also be provided here at Total-Motorsport.com.
Report: Sainz tops FP2 at Mexico GP
Carlos Sainz led the times in FP2 at the Mexico GP but he was not the storyline of the session at the Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez.
Read about what happened in FP2 on Friday below.
Chequered Flag: Russell crashes out of Pirelli test as Verstappen retires with issues. Sainz tops times.
Carlos Sainz was the quickest man in FP2 at the 2024 Mexico City GP but nobody really paid attention to that as the Pirelli tyre test was overshadowed by a huge crash from Mercedes’ George Russell.
The 26-year-old star binned his Mercedes at Turn 9 after taking too much kerb, writing the car off as the team seems set to revert to old-spec parts to rebuild the stricken Silver Arrow. Russell was taken to the medical centre, but swiftly released and he seems fine.
And he wasn’t the only one with issues at the Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez as Max Verstappen struggled with brake and engine issues, forcing him into an early retirement after he already had his FP1 curtailed. Worrying signs for Red Bull.
Five minutes to go: Drivers who missed FP1 switch to mediums
As permitted by Pirelli and the FIA, the drivers who missed FP1 due to the driver development tests could switch to the medium tyres and Zhou Guanyu, Fernando Alonso and Lando Norris are making sure they get some data on the tyres.
Lewis Hamilton is now doing the same but he will only get one flying lap and a practice start out of it. Perhaps saving them for the rest of the weekend?
10 minutes to go: Albon not expected to get out
James Vowles and Williams are still trying to get Alex Albon out on track for FP2 at the Mexico City GP but there isn’t a lot of time left to do so and it’s likely the Thai-Brit will miss all of the session.
Vowles, team principal, explained there’s still valuable data to be gathered even if he can only make it out on track for the last few moments but that now seems like a long shot really.
20 minutes to go: Mercedes show how restricted they are
Lewis Hamilton’s currently sixth in his first Free Practice session of the 2024 Mexico City GP weekend but that’s not really anything to do with him or Mercedes.
The team are only allowed to adjust the flaps on the car, showing just how much control Pirelli have over all the teams and cars as they test the 2025 tyres at the Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez.
25 minutes to go: Russell safe and healthy
George Russell has been released from the medical centre and is free to complete the rest of the 2024 Mexico City GP weekend at the Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez following his high-speed accident in FP2.
Sky Sports F1 says that Mercedes could revert to parts from the British GP in July to repair the 26-year-old’s car, such is the extent of damage he did to it with his accident.
27 minutes to go: Alonso and Norris fight it out on track
Lando Norris looks to get past Fernando Alonso and is so desperate to do so that the McLaren locks up into Turn 4 and almost misses the corner.
The Aston Martin then fights back through the very slow complex of corners before losing the drag race and wisely backing off at the site of George Russell’s crash in FP2 earlier on Friday.
That’s some excitement for the paying fans at the 2024 Mexico City GP in the middle of this Pirelli tyre test.
30 minutes to go: Sainz still leads the way
So far, there have been no changes as far as the top three on the timing boards go with Ferrari’s Carlos Sainz still leading Oscar Piastri and Yuki Tsunoda in FP2 at the 2024 Mexico City GP.
However, Charles Leclerc has got himself up to fourth ahead of Kevin Magnussen as the United States GP winner looks to make up for lost time after missing FP1 as part of the development driver test.
34 minutes to go: Floor hauled off Verstappen’s Red Bull car
It’s a serious problem for Max Verstappen’s Red Bull as the mechanics take away the floor to get to the inner workings of the car to figure out just what is going on with it after engine and brake issues.
A new engine could result in a grid drop penalty for the world champion, even a pit-lane start depending on when it’s needed. This is not good news for the championship leader who never even set a lap in FP2.
37 minutes to go: Verstappen’s afternoon is over
Max Verstappen’s Friday afternoon at the 2024 Mexico City GP is over as his Red Bull is stuck in the pits at the Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez and is being dissected by mechanics with no sign of the world champion in sight.
The Dutchman has battled engine issues and brake issues across FP1 and FP2 and now he’s out of the car and wondering if his weekend is about to get away from him before it’s even started in his quest to beat Lando Norris to the title.
40 minutes to go: Will we see Alex Albon this Friday?
Alex Albon, after almost an hour, is still in the garage as his Williams mechanics frantically try to fix his car following his FP1 crash with Olivier Bearman’s Ferrari on Friday.
Will we see the 28-year-old in FP2 at the 2024 Mexico City GP or is he destined to remain sidelined? James Vowles, Williams team principal, offers an update.
“It’s going to be a struggle,” Vowles tells Sky Sports F1 of Albon’s chances. “We have had to do an engine, gearbox change, both rear corners, front wing, rear wing, floor, lots of mechanical parts.
“I could keep listing it out, but it will be a struggle.”
45 minutes to go: Sainz still on top
Carlos Sainz continues to lead the way for Ferrari with a 1:17.6999, just under two tenths faster than McLaren’s Oscar Piastri and Yuki Tsunoda with the RB just 0.001 back in third place.
Remember that times can’t be looked into because of the Pirelli tyre test as they determine the run plans for each team as well as which tyres they use and when.
48 minutes to go: Verstappen with engine problems
Max Verstappen and his 2024 Mexico City GP isn’t going to plan as the Red Bull driver battled engine issues in FP1 and now brake and engine issues in FP2 meaning he doesn’t have a time on the board.
The Dutchman is told to put recharge on and box by GP as his frustrations continue with the weekend slowly ticking away. Is the door open to McLaren’s Lando Norris to win the race?
52 minutes to go: Green Flag as the session resumes following Russell’s crash
George Russell’s crash caused around a 30-minute delay at the Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez as the Austrian GP winner found himself in the wall for the second weekend in a row.
The drivers aren’t wasting any time as Fernando Alonso and Lando Norris are quickly onto flying laps.
Session to resume in around seven minutes
The session will get back underway in approximately seven minutes’ time according to Sky Sports F1 as the marshals successfully repair the tyre barriers after George Russell’s crash, which wrote off his Mercedes.
That will leave about 50 minutes left in the session.
60 minutes to go: The order as things stand
With the session still under red flag conditions as the marshals repair the tyre barriers at the Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez after George Russell’s crash, here is the Top 10 at the 2024 Mexico City GP FP2 session.
Carlos Sainz and his Ferrari car leads the way with a 1:17.809 which is around 0.750 quicker than Liam Lawson’s RB in second whilst Oscar Piastri’s McLaren closes out the top three.
Then comes: Kevin Magnussen (Haas), Yuki Tsunoda (RB), Lewis Hamilton (Mercedes), Franco Colapinto (Williams), Sergio Perez (Red Bull), George Russell (Mercedes) and Valtteri Bottas (Sauber).
Times can’t be looked too much into though, due to the Pirelli test. Pirelli are controlling run plans and won’t even let anyone know which tyres they are running so they can hide any and all data.
70 minutes to go: Extensive damage to the Mercedes
George Russell has given his mechanics quite the repair job over night at the 2024 Mexico City GP as the front suspension is shattered and the sidepods have been ripped apart whilst the floor and floor edges can be forgot about too.
The survival cell is rock solid though, showing how well designed the sport’s safety measures are. If Mercedes don’t have spare parts available then this could be a very painful weekend for Russell.
The Brit, meanwhile, will head to the medical centre close to the circuit for some precautionary checks to make sure he doesn’t have any injuries such as internal trauma or concussion.
75 minutes to go: Russell walks gingerly to the medical car
George Russell walks gingerly to the official medical car, which automatically deploys when a certain amount of G forces have been reached in an accident. The Mercedes driver is holding his ribs showing the whack he took.
The 26-year-old took too much kerb and bottomed out, sending him into a spin and punching a one way ticket to the tyre barriers to end his afternoon in the worst way he could.
At least he gets out of this Pirelli test though.
RED FLAG: GEORGE RUSSELL CRASHES OUT
It’s a red flag at the Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez as George Russell crashes for the second consecutive weekend!
The Mercedes is in the wall at Turn 9 and his 2024 Mexico City Grand Prix FP2 session is over after just 15 minutes.
80 minutes to go: Issues for Verstappen
Max Verstappen heads out onto track after his engine problem in FP1 at the 2024 Mexico City GP and he’s already unhappy as he comes back into the pits after just one lap around the Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez.
He reports he has brake issues as Carlos Sainz’s Ferrari tops the times with a 1:17.809 this Friday afternoon.
85 minutes to go: McLaren leading the way
McLaren seem to have found some time based on the early doors of this Pirelli test session as Oscar Piastri tops the boards with a 1:19.030 on unknown tyres.
Of course, due to the tyre test, there is nothing we can actually read into but he’s 0.026 ahead of Sergio Perez’s Red Bull for what its worth.
Green Flag: Free Practice 2 begins
The pit lane exit is open and cars can head out onto the Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez circuit for this extended FP2 at the 2024 Mexico City GP, which will run for an hour and half due to the Pirelli tyre test.
Max Verstappen is not yet ready to go, but his car is being assembled so we will likely see the Dutchman in this session.
FP2 at the 2024 Mexico City GP will be a different to usual
Pirelli will conduct a tyre test to analyse the rubber they will introduce to the sport in 2025, meaning teams cannot freestyle throughout FP2 at the 2024 Mexico City GP.
So how will the session at the Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez play out? And how will it be different? Read all about it with Total-Motorsport.com.
Don’t expect to see Alex Albon in FP2 after this scary crash
Alex Albon lost control of his Williams and hit Oliver Bearman after appearing to be spooked by the Ferrari going slowly through the highest-speed portion of the Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez.
The stewards and drivers ruled it a racing incident, but what do you think? Is anyone to blame?
Will Max Verstappen take part in FP2?
Max Verstappen’s FP1 came to a worrying end when he reported he had no power from his Red Bull engine and trundled back to the pits, bringing his early Friday session to a premature close.
So will he compete in FP2? And what was wrong with his engine? All will be revealed soon.
Welcome to the blog for FP2
Total-Motorsport.com welcomes you to the blog for FP2 at the 2024 Mexico City GP.
Did you miss FP1? Here are your results from the first session of the weekend around the Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez.
Pirelli tyre compounds for 2024 Mexico City GP
One area of concern is tyre management. With the long straights and low air density, tyres tend to cool quickly, especially on the main straight and the stretch between Turns 3 and 4. Drivers will need to be cautious under braking to avoid locking up their tyres, particularly at Turn 1.
When does FP2 at the Mexico City GP start?
The Free Practice 2 session from the 2024 Mexico City GP begins at 11:00pm for F1 fans in the UK. On the US east coast the action starts at 6:00pm ET, with those on the west coast having an 3:00pm PT start.
