The Mexican Grand Prix weekend opened with a bang as Alex Albon’s Williams collided with Ferrari stand-in Ollie Bearman in a bizarre incident that brought FP1 to a standstill. Just 20 minutes into the session, as Bearman attempted to let Albon pass in the sweeping middle sector, Albon lost control of the rear, sending his Williams crashing into the Ferrari. The collision caused severe damage to both cars, forcing both drivers to retire from the session instantly.
With the red flags flying, Albon was quick to blame Bearman over the radio, while the rookie Bearman, filling in for Ferrari, vented his frustration, declaring, “He hit me… I’m out! I don’t know what more I could have done.” The stewards have announced a post-session investigation, scrutinizing both drivers’ actions and also reviewing an incident involving Ferrari’s other stand-in, Robert Shwartzman, who is under investigation for allegedly overtaking under yellow flags.
The collision marks an unfortunate start to Bearman’s FP1 run with Ferrari, especially as the young British driver is set to join Haas for the 2025 season. The mishap echoes his first FP1 appearance with Haas at the same track last year, although under far less dramatic circumstances.
As FP1 resumed with 25 minutes left on the clock, speculation erupted around Albon’s apparent loss of control. Some blamed “dirty air” from Bearman’s Ferrari, while others noted that Albon appeared to lose the rear of his car after hitting the inside kerb. With the Williams unsettled, Albon’s attempt to regain control led him straight into Bearman, whose presence may have intensified Albon’s error.
The timing couldn’t be worse for Albon, who has been facing mounting pressure from his new Williams teammate, Franco Colapinto. This weekend, Albon is even running Colapinto’s setup to address balance issues that plagued him last week in Austin, where he struggled with rear locking. This high-stakes session was crucial for Albon, making the collision a significant setback.
The drama didn’t stop there; just five minutes into FP1, another red flag was waved when debris littered the racing line at Turn 1. Mercedes stand-in Kimi Antonelli ran over it, causing a brief halt while the track was cleared, though Antonelli managed to continue after the interruption.
With these early incidents marking a chaotic start to the Mexican GP, the stakes are higher than ever as teams attempt to recover lost time and assess car performance. As the dust settles on FP1, all eyes are now on the stewards to see if penalties or reprimands will impact Albon, Bearman, or Shwartzman heading into the weekend’s remaining sessions.
