First Free Practice Results 2024 Mexico F1 Grand Prix

Event: Mexico Grand Prix
Track: Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez

Weather: dry  19.5°C
Tarmac: dry  44.8°C
Humidity : 46.0%
Wind : 2.1 m/s South

Mexico City GP 2024: Russell Tops Chaotic FP1 with Mercedes Leading Charge

Friday Drivers Make Their Mark in Round 20 of the F1 Season

As the 2024 Formula 1 season heads into the final stretch, the Mexican Grand Prix weekend began with a captivating first practice session. Round 20 of 24 saw several "Friday drivers" take to the track, including Mercedes junior Kimi Antonelli, Felipe Drugovich, Patricio O'Ward, Ollie Bearman, and Robert Shwartzman. Lewis Hamilton, Charles Leclerc, Fernando Alonso, Lando Norris, and Zhou Guanyu sat out, giving these emerging talents a valuable opportunity to gain mileage in F1 machinery. This practice session offered the teams a chance to test strategies and adjustments at the high-altitude Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez.

Mercedes Leads, Russell Sets the Pace

In a session packed with drama, George Russell claimed the top spot for Mercedes, clocking in a time of 1:17.998—setting the standard for his competitors. Russell, recovering from a challenging weekend in Austin, showcased the potential of the W15 on this demanding track. His lap time proved untouchable for the rest of the grid, with Ferrari’s Carlos Sainz trailing by 0.317 seconds in second place and AlphaTauri’s Yuki Tsunoda impressively securing third.

This session demonstrated Mercedes' rebound after Austin, and while Russell dominated, teammate Lewis Hamilton will be eager to gauge the W15’s potential in FP2 with an upgraded floor.

Crashes and Red Flags: Albon and Bearman Clash

Drama unfolded as a collision between Alex Albon and Ollie Bearman brought out the red flags. Albon, running a push lap in his Williams, lost control when disturbed by Bearman’s slipstream, colliding with Bearman and ending both their sessions. The incident saw Albon heading to the medical center as a precaution, while Bearman found an unconventional way back to the paddock on a moped. This unfortunate crash left both teams scrambling to assess the damage ahead of FP2, especially as Williams faced additional challenges running their hard compound setup.

Verstappen Struggles with Engine Woes

Max Verstappen, leading the championship by 57 points over Lando Norris, experienced unexpected engine troubles that left his Red Bull lacking power. Verstappen’s attempts to troubleshoot the issue on track proved futile, forcing him to pit early. It wasn’t an ideal start for Red Bull, with the team facing additional technical hurdles to resolve before the competitive sessions ahead. Despite his previous dominance in Mexico City, Verstappen’s reliability concerns could present an opening for the competition this weekend.

Midfield Shake-Up and Rookie Standouts

The thin air of Mexico City provided a unique challenge as teams grappled with overheating and downforce limitations. Aston Martin’s rookie Felipe Drugovich showed resilience, navigating through traffic to post a respectable time despite being “far from the limit.” Meanwhile, Antonelli steadily climbed up the standings, placing 12th and gaining valuable experience on soft tyres. Pato O'Ward, driving for McLaren, improved to 13th, delighting local fans with his appearance in FP1.

Traffic in the stadium section became a strategic consideration for the teams, as drivers navigated through bottlenecks to secure clear laps.

Looking Ahead: FP2 Brings Prototype Tyres and Extended Running

As FP1 concluded, Mercedes held the early advantage, with Ferrari and AlphaTauri close behind. The upcoming FP2 session promises further insight, as teams will experiment with Pirelli's 2025 prototype tyres on a 90-minute run. This extended session will be crucial for those who missed FP1, including Norris and Hamilton, as they’ll have extra track time to fine-tune their setups. With the championship fight intensifying and Mercedes seeking redemption, all eyes are on FP2 to see who can keep pace with Russell’s dominant form.

Join us later for the FP2 session as the action continues to unfold in Mexico City!

Quickest Sector Times

The quickest sector times during FP1 were set by:

• Sector 1: 27.713 sec. by George Russell with the Mercedes W15.
• Sector 2: 29.930 sec. by George Russell with the Mercedes W15.
• Sector 3: 20.229 sec. by Carlos Sainz with the Ferrari SF-24.

The quickest lap time of last years FP1 was a 1:19.718 min driven by Max Verstappen with the Red Bull RB19.

FP1 Times Table 2024 Mexico F1 GP

✅ Check out our 2024 Mexico Formula 1 Grand Prix preview.

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