Mexico Grand Prix

I was away for a few days so I’m a bit late watching the sessions from the Mexico City GP.
Reminder from COTA GP: SAI was given a “Drop of 5 grid positions for the next Race in which the driver participates” and 2 points for causing a collision with ANT

Free Practice

1. FP1: LEC (1:18.380), ANT, HUL, PIA, BOR
   Nine teams had a rookie sit in for FP1, but it was COL and PIA who had to cut a corner
   Does the fact Arvid Lindblad finished P6 in VER’s car show that it’s the car rather than the driver that make that Red Bull fast? (TSU was P8 in the “identical” car)
2. FP2: VER (1:17.392), LEC, ANT, NOR, HAM
   Back to the usual line-up
   PIA’s McLaren hung its tail out but he gathered it up
   VER locked up and fought his car through Turn 4
   RUS ran deep into Turn 10 and had to evade the marker boards
   ALB tapped the wall in Turn 17 but didn’t appear to break anything
   STR dived inside GAS and ended up running wide
3. FP3: NOR (1:16.633), HAM, RUS, LEC, PIA
   PIA seemed to be struggling
   HAM ran wide in Turn 4, and then locked up into Turn 1
   RUS and VER both complained about lack of grip
   HAD complained about NOR and GAS getting in his way
   ALB had a big lock up in the stadium section

Penalties
Both (rookie driver) Lindblad and Red Bull received a warning for impeding (McLaren rookie) Pato O’Ward

Qualifying

Qualifying session 1 (Q1)
HAD 1:16.733
Chequered flag; bottom 5 are ALO, ALB, GAS, STR, COL
ALO P12, BOR P16
STR P19
ALB P17
Back of the grid: BOR, ALB, GAS, STR, COL

Qualifying session 2
NOR 1:16.252
(HAM P2)
Chequered flag; bottom 5 are OCO, HUL, ALO, PIA, LAW
PIA P7, TSU P11
Middle of the grid: TSU, OCO, HUL, ALO, LAW

Qualifying session 3
VER 1:16.455
BEA P2
NOR 1:16.170
PIA P3
SAI P4
HAD P5
HAM P2
LEC 1:15.991
ANT P6
RUS P6
Order after the first run: LEC, NOR, HAM, VER, PIA, RUS, ANT, SAI, HAD, BEA
BEA P5
PIA P3
VER P2
SAI P4
HAD P6
NOR 1:15.586
HAM P2
LEC P2
ANT P5
RUS P4
Front of the grid: NOR, LEC, HAM, RUS, VER, ANT, SAI, PIA, HAD, BEA

Provisional grid: NOR, LEC, HAM, RUS, VER, ANT, SAI*, PIA, HAD, BEA, TSU, OCO, HUL, ALO, LAW, BOR, ALB, GAS, STR, COL
Penalties
SAI’s 5 grid spot penalty from the previous race drops him to P12

Race

Pit lane is open; drivers can make their way to the grid
Grid: NOR, LEC, HAM, RUS, VER, ANT, PIA, HAD, BEA, TSU, OCO, SAI, HUL, ALO, LAW, BOR, ALB, GAS, STR, COL

01/71: VER very wide into Turn 1, cuts the corner
LEC cut T1 too
STR spins, recovers

03: Marshals on track picking up debris as LAW comes through; there’s double yellow flags (i.e. be prepared to stop) but it’s still a scary moment [there was a video but it’s been taken down]

06: VER tries to barge his way past HAM, makes contact and steals P3 – there ought to be a penalty but it’s VER
HAM locks up and cuts Turn 4; rejoins ahead of VER
BEA takes P3 from VER

07: HAM given 10sec penalty for leaving the track and gaining an advantage… but no penalty for VER causing a collision when he shoved HAM out the way

10/71: NOR, LEC, HAM*, BEA, VER, ANT, RUS, TSU, PIA, OCO (*HAM +10sec)

11: PIA uses DRS to take 8 from TSU

18: SAI pits; the Williams is kangarooing into the pit lane

24: HAM pits; serves his 10sec penalty; rejoins P13

35/71: OCO squeezes past ALB for P11

38: VER pits; rejoins P8, behind HAM

41: Radio for RUS telling him his tyre temps are sky high; RUS is stressed about the McLaren (PIA) on his tail; RUS suggests that ANT lets him through
Radio for ANT telling him to swap positions with RUS

47: VER inside HAM for P7

48: ANT pits, followed by PIA and HAM; McLaren get PIA out first

60/71: NOR, LEC, VER, BEA, RUS, PIA, ANT, HAM, OCO, HAD
PIA dives inside RUS, takes P5

62: RUS gives P6 back to ANT

70/71: Yellow flag – SAI has stopped on the outside of the final turn – apparently the Williams rear stepped out, spun and hit the wall
VER harrying LEC over P2
VSC deployed

71/71: VSC ending
NOR takes the chequered flag

Provisional result: NOR, LEC, VER, BEA, PIA, ANT, RUS, HAM, OCO, BOR; TSU, ALB, HAD, STR, GAS, COL
DNF: SAI, ALO, HUL, LAW
Penalties
SAI received a 5sec penalty for speeding in the pit lane, and then a drive-through penalty for doing it again
Update: apparently SAI’s front left wheel speed sensor was broken in the lap 1 collision with LAW, causing problems with the pit lane speed limiter

There’s just one point between NOR and PIA, with VER 35 points behind and just four GP remaining.

[2025 calendar and driver line-up]