Mexican GP: Verstappen edges Albon in opening practice

Max Verstappen was in command of proceedings from the outset of Friday’s running at the Mexican Grand Prix, the Red Bull driver setting the pace in FP1.

But the Dutchman was closely challenged but the rapid and slippery Williams of Alex Albon who concluded his session just 0.095s adrift from Verstappen.

Behind the top-two, local hero Sergio Perez clocked in third, 0.297s behind his teammate, while McLaren’s Lando Norris outdid his own expectations in fourth position, just ahead of Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc in P5.

• Mexican Grand Prix Free Practice 1 - Results

As part of the teams’ obligation to run a rookie driver in at least two sessions this season, F1 welcomed five young chargers in FP1: Frederik Vesti- Mercedes, Oliver Bearman-Haas, Theo Pourchaire-Alfa Romeo, Jack Doohan-Alpine and Isack Hadjar-AlphaTauri.

Consequently, George Russell, Kevin Magnussen, Valtteri Bottas, Pierre Gasly and Yuki Tsunoda were on the sidelines for the session but will return to their seats later this afternoon.

Furthermore, teams were given the opportunity to sample in FP1 a prototype C4 variant tyre supplied by Pirelli, a test that will extend into FP2.

Aston Martin’s Fernando Alonso and Lance Stroll led the field out of the pitlane with both cars fitted with Pirelli’s test compound as well as with an array of aero sensors.

Gyrations at the top of the timesheet were fast and furious in the first 10 minutes of running, but eventually the bulls settled at the top with Verstappen leading Perez by just under half a second, with both drivers running on the medium tyre.

A brief yellow flag was displayed as Sainz left the track, the Spaniard radioing in to signal a hydraulics failure.

There were also troubles for Pourchaire, the Alfa rookie struggling with a long brake pedal along other things, which was oddly addressed by his team replacing the steering wheel on his C43.

Meanwhile, a valiant effort by Alex Albon carried the Williams driver up to P2, just a whisker off Verstappen’s benchmark 1m20.237s.

Hamilton enjoyed his first incursion into the top ten, but the Mercedes driver – running on the test tyre – was 2 seconds off the pace.

Over at McLaren, as the session reached its halfway mark, a soft-shod Norris popped up to the top of the timesheets, his first qualifying simulation just outpacing Verstappen.

But the Red Bull driver was quick to respond, moving back ahead with a 1m19.718s, and the Dutchman was followed by Perez who slotted in to second, 00.230s ahead of Norris.

Alonso finally joined the action in earnest after being constrained to the Aston garage, and Sainz was also back on track after his early hydraulic woes.

Unfortunately, the scene in the Alfa garage was ominous for Pourchaire as the Swiss outfit’s crews started to dismantle the gearbox on the C43 as part of their efforts to solve a brake-by-wire problem.

With 10 minutes left on the clock, Albon confirmed his standout status for the session, the Anglo-Thai racer moving up and getting within 0.095s of the first session’s pace setter, Verstappen.

The session concluded with Perez, Norris and Leclerc lining up behind the top two and completing the top five.

Thereafter followed Piastri, Sainz, Ricciardo, Ocon and Stroll who rounded off the first half of the field.

Hamilton was a lowly P11, the Briton kicking off his Mexican weekend with Mercedes on a low-key note. So work to do obviously for the Brackley squad.

The pecking order among the session’s rookies saw Bearman claim bragging rights for Haas as the fastest debutant in 15th position.

AlphaTauri’s Hadjar acquitted himself well as he set the 17th fastest lap, the French-Algerian preceding Alpine’s Doohan and Mercedes’ Vesti while poor Pourchaire – plague by an electronics issue on his Alfa – closed out the field without putting a single flying lap on the board.

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