Mexico Grand Prix: Weekend Recap

Less than a week after the eventful race in Austin, Formula One is back for the second part of the triple-header at Mexico City for the 24th Mexican Grand Prix. Ferrari emerged the favorites for victory, after a dominant one-two finish, 10 seconds ahead of the rest of the field. Tensions had only risen between championship rivals Lando Norris and Max Verstappen, after a controversial battle in Austin in which Verstappen pushed Norris off the track along with himself, Norris overtook Verstappen outside the track and gained a 5-second penalty. Both championships are still up for grabs, Ferrari closing up to Redbull and Verstappen holding on to this comfortable lead in Austin.

Friday practice

The Mexican Grand Prix kicked off with eventful practice sessions on Friday, October 25, 2024. The first two practice sessions were marked by crashes, red flags, and testing runs, setting the stage for an unpredictable weekend at the Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez.

George Russell set the pace in a chaotic first practice session, clocking a lap of 1m17.998s on soft tires. The Mercedes driver’s performance was enough to put him three-tenths clear of Ferrari's Carlos Sainz, with the session interrupted twice due to red flags.

The first red flag occurred just five minutes into the session to clear debris at Turn 1. However, the main incident involved Williams’ Alex Albon and Ferrari reserve driver Oliver Bearman. Albon, on a hot lap, caught up with a slowing Bearman at Turn 9. As Albon lifted off to avoid Bearman, his car snapped, sending him into a collision with Bearman and then into the wall. This incident brought out the second red flag and caused a 14-minute delay.

Carlos Sainz initially led after the first hard tire runs, setting a time of 1m18.573s before the interruption. When the session resumed, Sainz was the early pace-setter on the soft tires, but Russell found six-tenths over the Spaniard to post a 1m17.998s, breaking into the 1m17s range. Sainz closed the gap with a follow-up lap of 1m18.315s, but it wasn’t enough to reclaim the top spot.

RB's Yuki Tsunoda finished third, 0.7 seconds off the pace, while reigning champion Max Verstappen was fourth. Verstappen reported a power unit issue late in the session, which forced him to retreat to the pits with five minutes remaining, ending his FP1 early.

Nico Hulkenberg placed fifth, edging out McLaren’s Oscar Piastri, who struggled with the balance of his car on the soft tires and focused more on long-run data collection. Esteban Ocon was seventh, followed by Valtteri Bottas, Liam Lawson, and home favorite Sergio Perez, who rounded out the top ten.

Notable performances came from Mercedes’ future driver Andrea Kimi Antonelli, who took 12th place in Lewis Hamilton’s car, and Pato O'Ward, who drove Lando Norris’ McLaren and finished 13th in front of his home crowd. The bottom of the order featured reserve and rookie drivers, including Felipe Drugovich, Robert Shwartzman, and Bearman, who were unable to recover from the earlier incident.

Carlos Sainz topped the second practice session, where most of the running was dedicated to Pirelli’s 2025 tire testing. However, George Russell’s high-speed crash at Turn 9 overshadowed the early part of FP2.

The session started with McLaren’s Lando Norris leading the field out, setting an initial time of 1m19.895s on Pirelli’s 2025 prototype C5 soft tire. Drivers shuffled through the order early on, with Sergio Perez delighting his home fans by briefly taking the top spot with a 1m19.150s on the same compound as Norris.

Oscar Piastri improved to a 1m19.030s on 2024 C4 tyres before Sainz, also on the 2024 C4 medium compound, posted a 1m18.276s, putting himself in control of the session. Moments later, George Russell suffered a major crash. The Briton clipped the kerbs at Turn 8, causing his car to bottom out and spin into the barriers at Turn 9. His Mercedes suffered significant damage, and the session was red-flagged for nearly 25 minutes to repair the barriers. Russell emerged unharmed from the incident after a medical check, but his day ended prematurely.

Once the session resumed, Sainz set the fastest time of the day with a 1m17.699s on 2025 C4 tires. Oscar Piastri continued his strong showing, finishing second, 0.178s behind Sainz, with Yuki Tsunoda taking third for Red Bull.

Charles Leclerc, whose car had been damaged in the FP1 incident involving Bearman and Albon, missed much of the early running in FP2. When he finally got out on track, Leclerc slotted into fourth place, 0.188s slower than his Ferrari teammate, Sainz.

Kevin Magnussen took sixth for Haas, followed by Lewis Hamilton, Bottas, and Perez, while Lawson rounded out the top ten. Meanwhile, Russell’s crash left him down in 18th, and Max Verstappen continued to face power unit issues, managing only 19th.

Friday’s practice sessions at the Mexican Grand Prix were packed with action, from crashes to red flags and tire testing. Sainz topped FP2 despite Russell’s crash and Verstappen’s ongoing issues. With Pirelli’s 2025 tire test data gathering complete, all eyes will turn to Saturday’s sessions as teams refine their setups for the main event.

Final Practice

Oscar Piastri topped the final practice session ahead of the Mexican Grand Prix, leading a McLaren 1-2 with team-mate Lando Norris just 0.059 seconds behind. The session saw McLaren establish a strong pace advantage over the rest of the field, with Ferrari's Carlos Sainz completing the top three, albeit nearly three-tenths off the lead.

In the early stages, drivers focused on running soft and medium tires after Friday’s FP2 session was primarily dedicated to Pirelli’s 2025 prototype tire testing. Max Verstappen was quick to set the first competitive lap with a 1m18.397s as he tried to recover lost ground from Friday's limited running due to power unit issues. His team addressed the air leak that hindered him, but Verstappen’s early benchmark was soon surpassed.

George Russell, who also needed recovery after his FP2 crash forced a chassis change, briefly took the top spot with a 1m18.284s. However, his time was soon bettered by Mercedes team-mate Lewis Hamilton, who went nearly a tenth and a half quicker.

Sainz then surged ahead of the Mercedes drivers, clocking a 1m17.825s to dip under the 1m18s barrier, with his Ferrari team-mate Charles Leclerc close behind. Sainz later improved his time further to 1m17.447s, establishing himself as the pace-setter during the early part of the session.

As the session progressed into true qualifying simulations, Verstappen set a 1m17.003s. However, a scruffy middle sector compromised his lap, opening the door for Norris to snatch the top spot with a blistering 1m16.551s lap. His joy was short-lived as his McLaren teammate, Oscar Piastri, found another half-tenth to go fastest, posting a 1m16.492s.

Sainz, continuing his solid form, secured third fastest with a 1m16.832s, moving ahead of Verstappen, who failed to improve on his initial time. Verstappen’s front braking issues also hampered his efforts, preventing him from mounting a serious challenge to the McLarens at the front.

Hamilton managed to go fifth fastest with a strong lap, but expressed concerns over the over-half-second gap to the leading McLarens. His teammate Russell, still recovering from Friday’s setback, ended up in eighth place.

Leclerc attempted to break into the top five in the final moments of the session, improving in the first sector. However, he lost time in the middle part of the lap due to traffic, leaving him sixth overall behind Hamilton.

Yuki Tsunoda had a solid run to finish seventh, beating Russell in the process. Kevin Magnussen, despite locking up at Turn 12 on his initial run, improved on his second effort to take ninth, while Red Bull’s Liam Lawson completed the top 10 after surviving a brief spin in the Foro Sol section early in the session.

Alex Albon bounced back from his FP1 crash and missing FP2 to set a competitive time, finishing just outside the top 10. He outpaced his Williams teammate Franco Colapinto by two-tenths, with the pair split by Sauber’s Valtteri Bottas.

With McLaren dominating the session, the battle for pole in the upcoming qualifying session looks fierce, with Ferrari and Red Bull aiming to close the gap to the Woking-based team.

Qualifying

Carlos Sainz delivered a dominant performance in qualifying to secure pole position for the 2024 Mexican Grand Prix, finishing 0.225 seconds ahead of championship leader Max Verstappen. The Ferrari driver was unstoppable throughout the session, capping it off with a blistering 1m15.946s lap to secure his second consecutive pole.

Q1

The first qualifying session (Q1) saw a major shake-up as two notable drivers were eliminated. Oscar Piastri, who topped the final practice session earlier in the day, struggled to replicate that form and failed to advance past Q1. His performance was hampered by track limit violations, losing one of his laps for exceeding the boundaries at Turn 12. Piastri admitted that this mistake cost him crucial time, ultimately resulting in his elimination. He finished 17th, well outside the cut-off for Q2.

Local hero Sergio Perez had a disappointing session as well. The Mexican driver, racing in front of his home crowd, was plagued by braking issues in the low-speed corners and couldn't find the pace to make it out of Q1. Despite a late effort to improve, Perez could only manage 15th before being bumped down to 16th by Charles Leclerc’s last-ditch escape from the drop zone. It was a tough blow for Perez, whose struggles continued throughout the weekend.

At the bottom of the timesheets, Esteban Ocon and Zhou Guanyu finished 18th and 20th, respectively. Ocon came close to advancing but faltered in the final sector, while Zhou’s pace wasn’t enough to challenge higher up the order.

Q2

The second qualifying session (Q2) was disrupted by a red flag after Yuki Tsunoda crashed into the wall at Turn 12 while on a flying lap. The AlphaTauri driver lost control of his car heading into the Foro Sol section, bringing his session to an abrupt end and eliminating his chance of advancing to Q3. His teammate, Liam Lawson, also suffered as the red flag ended his hopes of making it into the top 10. Both drivers had been on strong laps before the incident but were ultimately knocked out, with Tsunoda classified 11th and Lawson 12th.

The incident also impacted Fernando Alonso and Lance Stroll, who were on their final flying laps when the red flag halted their progress. As a result, both Aston Martin drivers were eliminated in Q2, alongside Alfa Romeo’s Valtteri Bottas, who also missed the opportunity to improve.

Q3

The final session (Q3) saw Sainz assert his dominance with a near-perfect performance. He set the benchmark early with a 1m16.055s lap but went even faster on his second attempt, clocking a 1m15.946s to secure pole position for Ferrari. His pace was unmatched, and the Spaniard found two laps that would have been good enough for pole, underlining his control of the session.

Max Verstappen, aiming to secure a crucial front-row start, initially lost his first flying lap to track limits after cutting the Turn 2/3 chicane. However, the Dutchman recovered on his second attempt with a 1m16.171s lap, which was good enough for second place, just over two-tenths behind Sainz. Verstappen’s recovery ensured he would start alongside his Ferrari rival on the front row.

Lando Norris, who struggled on his first Q3 lap and found himself only fifth after the initial runs, managed to pull together a stronger final effort. His 1m16.321s lap placed him third on the grid, ahead of Charles Leclerc, who had to save a snap in the high-speed corners. Leclerc’s effort was solid, but he still finished three-tenths behind his teammate, taking fourth.

The Mercedes pair of George Russell and Lewis Hamilton secured the third row of the grid. Russell outqualified his more experienced teammate, finding more pace on his final lap to take fifth, with Hamilton lining up sixth. The Mercedes drivers were off the pace of the top three but remained competitive enough to challenge for points.

Kevin Magnussen put in a standout performance to qualify seventh, continuing his strong form for Haas. The Dane’s clean laps allowed him to get ahead of Pierre Gasly, who placed eighth for Alpine.

Alex Albon secured ninth on the grid for Williams, a solid result after a tough weekend in the practice sessions. Nico Hulkenberg rounded out the top 10 but missed an opportunity to improve further after overcooking his final lap at Turn 12, losing valuable time.

With Sainz on pole and Verstappen alongside him, the Mexican Grand Prix promises an exciting battle at the front as Ferrari, Red Bull, and McLaren all look to make their mark.

Race

Carlos Sainz secured his second victory of the 2024 Formula 1 season with a commanding performance at the Mexican Grand Prix, fending off a late charge from Lando Norris. Max Verstappen, the championship leader, finished a distant sixth after receiving two 10-second penalties that derailed his race.

At the start, Sainz, who began from pole position, lost the lead to a fast-starting Verstappen as the Red Bull driver surged into Turn 1, forcing Sainz off the track. Sainz briefly went onto the grass but managed to avoid major damage. However, the action was quickly neutralized when Alex Albon and Yuki Tsunoda collided in a dramatic first-corner crash. Albon, squeezed between Tsunoda and Pierre Gasly, made contact with Tsunoda, sending the Japanese driver into the barriers and leaving Albon with terminal front-left tire damage. Both drivers were forced to retire, triggering an early safety car.

When the race resumed, Sainz wasted no time and mounted an attack on Verstappen. On lap 4, using the Drag Reduction System (DRS), Sainz swept past the Dutchman into Turn 1. Verstappen attempted to fight back but couldn't reclaim the lead, leaving him vulnerable to Norris behind.

As Sainz stretched his lead, Verstappen soon found himself in a fierce battle with Norris. The McLaren driver, keen to capitalize on Verstappen’s struggles, tried to pass him around the outside at Turn 4. Verstappen, however, forced Norris off the track, and the two came together again at Turn 7. Verstappen’s aggressive defense earned him a 10-second penalty for the Turn 4 incident, and another 10-second penalty followed for rejoining unsafely after the Turn 7 clash. These penalties all but ended his hopes of victory.

Norris, despite the setbacks, continued to push and eventually moved into second place after passing Charles Leclerc, who had capitalized on Verstappen and Norris’ skirmish to take second earlier.

At the front, Sainz built an unassailable lead, holding off any potential threat from Leclerc, who was employing fuel-saving tactics alongside his teammate. Despite Leclerc’s attempts to close the gap, his tires began to degrade, allowing Norris to close in. On lap 62, Leclerc nearly hit the wall exiting the Peraltada in a hair-rasing snap of oversteer, saving his race skillfully with lightning-fast steering movements. This mistake allowed Norris to breeze past and take second place.

With his teammate in control, Leclerc pitted for fresh soft tires and secured the fastest lap of the race with a 1m18.336s, earning a valuable point for Ferrari in their constructors' championship battle.

Behind the Ferraris and Norris, Mercedes teammates Lewis Hamilton and George Russell were locked in a lengthy duel for fourth place. Hamilton repeatedly attacked but was unable to get past Russell until lap 66, when he finally used DRS to make a clean overtake into Turn 1. Once ahead, Hamilton demonstrated superior pace and pulled away, finishing 3.7 seconds clear of Russell, who settled for fifth.

Verstappen, meanwhile, fell further back, unable to recover after his penalties. He struggled on the hard tires, and by the end of the race, he was 11 seconds behind Russell in sixth. He was also under threat from Haas driver Kevin Magnussen, who finished seventh after an impressive race.

Oscar Piastri, who had a disappointing qualifying session and started far back after being knocked out in Q1, managed to salvage a strong eighth-place finish. The Australian clawed his way through the field, but the damage had already been done, and he couldn’t progress further up the order.

Nico Hulkenberg, who showed good pace early in the race, struggled with tire wear in the closing stages but managed to hang on to ninth place. Pierre Gasly completed the top 10 for Alpine, securing the final point after a consistent drive.

Sergio Perez’s home race was one to forget. The Red Bull driver’s problems started even before the lights went out when he was penalized for starting outside his grid box, earning a five-second penalty. His race went from bad to worse when he clashed with Liam Lawson during a heated battle. Perez tried to pass the AlphaTauri driver at Turn 4 but forced Lawson off track. Lawson responded aggressively at the next corner, damaging Perez’s car and leaving him with compromised aerodynamics. Perez limped home last, far from the celebration he had hoped for in front of his home crowd.

He thought he deserved one more before his move to Williams in 2025. Carlos Sainz's 4th victory for Ferrari was a masterclass performance, performing supremely in low grip conditions in every session of the weekend. It is a momentous achievement in his iconic career at Ferrari. Carlos Sainz’s victory in Mexico keeps Ferrari in contention in the constructors' championship, moving them to 2nd place ahead of RedBull, while Max Verstappen’s sixth-place finish marks a rare off day for the three-time world champion. With just a few races left in the season, the championship battle remains wide open, especially for the constructors title, setting up a thrilling conclusion to the 2024 F1 season.