Carlos Sainz dominated the second practice session of the Mexico City Grand Prix, continuing Ferrari’s momentum after an impressive showing in Austin. But this FP2 was no ordinary session, as much of the time was allocated to testing Pirelli’s 2025 tyre prototypes. Sainz clocked a leading time of 1:17.699, with Oscar Piastri, Yuki Tsunoda, Charles Leclerc, and Lando Norris rounding out the top five, yet the unusual format left teams grappling to assess true performance.
The session stretched to 90 minutes, with the additional half-hour allowing teams to trial Pirelli’s C4, C5, and C6 prototypes, differing from the weekend’s C3, C4, and C5 selections. Drivers were given a strict run plan: two short, fast runs and two longer ones, while drivers absent from FP1, such as Pato O’Ward, got a set of standard medium tyres to make up for lost time.
However, the session hit an early snag when George Russell crashed at Turn 9 just 15 minutes in. Leading FP1, Russell took too much kerb at Turn 8, losing control as his car bounced and ultimately collided with the barriers. Though Russell walked away unscathed, he looked winded and was taken to the medical center for assessment. The delay left Pirelli with less track time to collect data, but teams like Red Bull took advantage, working on Max Verstappen’s reported engine issues.
Verstappen’s woes continued post-red flag, with the Dutchman cutting his session short after further power unit trouble. Told by his team to “box,” Verstappen’s day ended early, leaving him without a lap time in FP2—a potential worry for the weekend if engine problems persist. Williams’ Alex Albon also sat out FP2, with his team replacing the engine and gearbox damaged during his FP1 collision with Ferrari’s Ollie Bearman.
While Sainz’s lead in FP2 shows Ferrari’s strong form, the unique session setup and ongoing issues for top drivers make it challenging to gauge true pace going into Saturday. As Pirelli processes data from this extended session, all eyes remain on Red Bull to see if Verstappen’s power unit troubles persist, potentially reshaping the Mexico GP narrative.
