Leclerc Leads Friday Practice in Mexico City, Norris Beats Russell in Eventful FP2
Charles Leclerc topped both practice sessions in Mexico City, while Lando Norris edged out George Russell in a lively second practice.
Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc showed strong single‑lap pace on the high‑altitude streets of Mexico City, topping both Friday practice sessions ahead of the season‑ending Grand Prix. The Monegasque driver set the fastest time in FP1 and then improved on it in FP2, confirming Ferrari’s early‑season momentum and giving the team a solid data set for qualifying.
FP1: Leclerc’s early advantage
In the first practice session, Leclerc clocked a lap of 1:16.920, edging out Red Bull’s Max Verstappen by just 0.12 seconds. The session was marked by a few on‑track incidents, including a brief safety car after a stray tyre was left on the racing line. Despite the interruption, Ferrari managed to extract valuable tyre performance data, especially on the medium compound, which they plan to use for the race start.
FP2: Norris steals the spotlight
The second practice saw a tighter midfield battle. Lando Norris of McLaren posted the quickest time of 1:16.750, narrowly beating Mercedes’ George Russell, who was third fastest. Norris’s pace was aided by a clean run on the soft tyre, highlighting McLaren’s improving understanding of the circuit’s grip levels. Verstappen, who qualified second in FP1, slipped to fourth after a brief off‑track excursion that cost him valuable seconds.
Implications for qualifying and race strategy
Leclerc’s consistency across both sessions suggests Ferrari will aim for a front‑row start, likely targeting a pole position that could translate into a strong race strategy on the 4.3‑km track. McLaren’s strong FP2 performance indicates they may challenge the traditional front‑runners for a top‑five start, while Mercedes will need to fine‑tune their setup after a relatively quiet weekend. Red Bull, despite not topping the timesheets, will rely on their race‑day pace and strategic flexibility to stay in contention.
For India: When to watch
The Mexico City Grand Prix qualifying is scheduled for Saturday at 15:00 GMT, which is 20:30 IST. The race will start on Sunday at 19:00 GMT, translating to 00:30 IST on Monday. Indian fans can stream the live action on FanCode, which holds the official broadcasting rights for the 2024 season. A pre‑race analysis show featuring Indian F1 pundits will air on FanCode at 18:00 IST on Saturday, offering insights into tyre strategies and driver form.
Source: Formula1.com