Sainz Leads Mexican GP FP2 Amid Russell’s Crash and Verstappen’s Engine Woes

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In an eventful FP2 at the 2024 Mexican Grand Prix, Carlos Sainz set the fastest lap time as George Russell’s high-speed crash disrupted the session, and Max Verstappen struggled with persistent engine issues. The 90-minute session, largely dedicated to Pirelli’s tyre testing for the 2025 season, saw a mix of impressive performances and frustrating setbacks for several drivers.

Sainz Tops the Timesheets as FP2 Begins with Pirelli Testing

The extended FP2 kicked off with McLaren’s Lando Norris first out on track, recording an initial time of 1m19.895s on Pirelli’s prototype C5 soft tyres. While Norris led early, he was quickly overtaken by Pierre Gasly, Lewis Hamilton, and Valtteri Bottas, before Mexico’s own Sergio Perez posted a 1m19.150s on the same tyres, delighting his home crowd.

Oscar Piastri briefly claimed the top spot with a 1m19.030s on the 2024 C4 compound before Sainz outpaced the field with an impressive 1m18.276s using the same tyres, which are this weekend’s medium compound. Just minutes later, Sainz set an even faster benchmark of 1m17.809s.

Russell’s Crash and Delayed Repairs Interrupt Testing

Drama unfolded soon after as George Russell suffered a massive crash at Turn 9. Exiting Turn 8, Russell’s car bottomed out on the kerbs, causing his Mercedes to spin off the track and hit the barriers sideways. The crash caused significant damage to the W15 chassis, and Russell emerged uninjured but visibly shaken as he climbed from the wreck. Mercedes later confirmed that Russell returned from the circuit’s medical center with no injuries.

The extensive barrier repairs took nearly 25 minutes, after which Sainz returned to the track on the 2025 C4s and set an even quicker time of 1m17.699s. Following a brief burst of performance testing after the red flag, drivers switched to high-fuel running as per Pirelli’s testing requirements, completing four runs of 10 laps each on various compounds at both 20kg and 100kg fuel loads.

Piastri and Leclerc Shine, Verstappen and Russell Endure Troubles

Oscar Piastri continued his strong performance for McLaren, finishing second at 0.178s behind Sainz, while Yuki Tsunoda placed third for Red Bull. Charles Leclerc, who suffered a delay due to FP1 damage from Alex Albon’s Williams driven by Oliver Bearman, eventually placed fourth. Despite missing the start of FP2, Leclerc used the 2024 C4s to improve his lap time, ultimately finishing just 0.188s behind his teammate Sainz.

For Red Bull, it was a session to forget as Max Verstappen continued to report engine issues, echoing similar concerns from FP1. After his car made a strange noise in early running and endured a brake problem at Turn 1, Verstappen spent most of the session in the garage while engineers attempted fixes during the red flag.

Norris, Alonso, and Guanyu Zhou used mediums to make final improvements after rookie driver testing in FP1 allocated teams an extra 30 minutes of running, though Russell’s crash cut that time short. Norris managed to climb to fifth, while Alonso slotted into 11th, and Leclerc struggled with a lock-up on his sole timed lap on mediums.

Final Standings

The session concluded with Sainz in first, Piastri second, Tsunoda third, and Leclerc in fourth. Kevin Magnussen took sixth for Haas, followed by Hamilton, Bottas, and Perez, while Liam Lawson rounded out the top 10. George Russell’s crash left him 18th, while Verstappen’s engine troubles relegated him down the standings.

As Pirelli’s testing dominated FP2, the session offered a glimpse into how teams are adapting to next season’s tyre compounds, while also underscoring the challenges posed by Mexico’s high-altitude conditions. Sainz’s strong performance, paired with Ferrari’s competitive pace, indicates they may be a force to reckon with this weekend, despite the chaotic interruptions.

With qualifying looming, drivers and teams will be keen to iron out any issues and avoid setbacks like those suffered by Russell and Verstappen. The Mexican Grand Prix promises to be a thrilling and unpredictable affair, with Pirelli’s 2025 compounds adding an extra layer of strategy to an already intense battle at the Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez.

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