Third Free Practice Results & Report 2023 Mexico F1 Grand Prix
Event: Mexico Grand Prix
Track: Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez
Weather: dry 20°C
Tarmac: dry 40.0°C
Humidity : 51%
Wind : 3.6 km/h NE
2023 Mexico Formula One Grand Prix - FP3 Summary
Mexico City - Free Practice 3 for the Mexico Grand Prix offered a captivating session filled with on-track drama and strategic intrigue.
Tyre Strategies: Pirelli brought the softest compounds: C3, C4, and C5. However, softs are not expected to be the prime race tyre, making tyre choice crucial.
Notable Runs: Valtteri Bottas, who performed well here previously, had a strong outing in his Alfa. On the other hand, Yuki Tsunoda will face a grid penalty for exceeding his season's PU components allocation.
Track Conditions: Warm track temperatures, reaching into the forties, made the session challenging for the drivers. Many complained of sliding, and grip levels were noticeably different due to the thin air, making off-line excursions particularly treacherous.
Top Times: As the session progressed, George Russell set an early pace, but it was Max Verstappen who emerged fastest, with a time of 1m 18.429s. However, it was a tight contest, as Alex Albon of Williams surprised everyone by topping the charts briefly, only to be superseded by Verstappen.
Incidents: A few drivers struggled to maintain their lines. Lance Stroll faced issues in Turns 8 and 9, while Ferrari had a tough session with traffic woes. Carlos Sainz notably had an incident with Stroll, which he vehemently criticized.
Team Performances: Red Bull and Williams stood out, with both teams' drivers showcasing promising pace. Mercedes had a mixed bag, with Russell's promising P4 and Hamilton languishing in P10. Meanwhile, Ferrari's potential remained a mystery due to interrupted flying laps.
Conclusion: Verstappen ended the session on top, making it a hattrick of fastest times over the weekend's three practices. As the grid moves into qualifying, Albon, Bottas, and Ricciardo appear as the 'midfield' threats who might shake up the top 10.
The quickest lap time of last years FP2 was a 1:18,399 min driven by George Russell with the Mercedes W13.
FP3 Times Table 2023 Mexico F1 GP
| P | No | Driver | Team | Time | 1st Gap | Laps | Tyres |
| 1 | 1 | Max Verstappen | Red Bull | 1:17,887 | 19 | S | |
| 2 | 23 | Alex Albon | Williams | 1:17,957 | +0,070s | 19 | S |
| 3 | 11 | Sergio Pérez | Red Bull | 1:18,026 | +0,139s | 19 | S |
| 4 | 63 | George Russell | Mercedes | 1:18,248 | +0,361s | 20 | S |
| 5 | 81 | Oscar Piastri | McLaren | 1:18,392 | +0,505s | 22 | S |
| 6 | 77 | Valtteri Bottas | Alfa Romeo | 1:18,437 | +0,550s | 26 | S |
| 7 | 22 | Yuki Tsunoda | AlphaTauri | 1:18,450 | +0,563s | 26 | S |
| 8 | 4 | Lando Norris | McLaren | 1:18,480 | +0,593s | 21 | S |
| 9 | 3 | Daniel Ricciardo | AlphaTauri | 1:18,499 | +0,612s | 15 | S |
| 10 | 44 | Lewis Hamilton | Mercedes | 1:18,522 | +0,635s | 21 | S |
| 11 | 2 | Logan Sargeant | Williams | 1:18,718 | +0,831s | 15 | S |
| 12 | 24 | Zhou Guanyu | Alfa Romeo | 1:18,917 | +1,030s | 21 | S |
| 13 | 16 | Charles Leclerc | Ferrari | 1:18,970 | +1,083s | 22 | S |
| 14 | 18 | Lance Stroll | Aston Martin | 1:19,094 | +1,207s | 21 | S |
| 15 | 55 | Carlos Sainz | Ferrari | 1:19,293 | +1,406s | 23 | S |
| 16 | 27 | Nico Hülkenberg | Haas | 1:19,320 | +1,433s | 18 | S |
| 17 | 14 | Fernando Alonso | Aston Martin | 1:19,471 | +1,584s | 21 | S |
| 18 | 10 | Pierre Gasly | Alpine | 1:19,509 | +1,622s | 19 | S |
| 19 | 20 | Kevin Magnussen | Haas | 1:19,573 | +1,686s | 9 | S |
| 20 | 31 | Esteban Ocon | Alpine | 1:19,839 | +1,952s | 19 | S |
✅ Check out our 2023 Mexico Formula 1 Grand Prix preview.
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