This session has finished. No further updates will be posted.
Second practice for the 2024 Mexican Grand Prix is coming up next.
This session has been extended by half an hour to allow teams to conduct tyre testing for Pirelli. They have been allocated different sets of tyres including the new C6 prototype ‘street track’ compound under development for next season. Pirelli has allocated tyres to the drivers as follows:
| Team | Driver | Run 1: Performance | Run 2: Performance | Run3: Long | Run 4: Long |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Red Bull | Sergio Perez | OPT (C5) | BASE (C5) | OPT (C5) | BASE (C5) |
| Max Verstappen | BASE (C5) | OPT (C5) | BASE (C5) | OPT (C5) | |
| Mercedes | George Russell | OPT (C4) | BASE (C4) | OPT (C4) | BASE (C4) |
| Lewis Hamilton | BASE (C4) | OPT (C4) | BASE (C4) | OPT (C4) | |
| Ferrari | Charles Leclerc | OPT (C4) | BASE (C4) | OPT (C4) | BASE (C4) |
| Carlos Sainz Jnr | BASE (C4) | OPT (C4) | BASE (C4) | OPT (C4) | |
| McLaren | Lando Norris | OPT (C5) | BASE (C5) | OPT (C5) | BASE (C5) |
| Oscar Piastri | BASE (C5) | OPT (C5) | BASE (C5) | OPT (C5) | |
| Aston Martin | Lance Stroll | BASE (C5) | OPT (C6) | BASE (C5) | OPT (C6) |
| Fernando Alonso | OPT (C6) | BASE (C5) | OPT (C6) | BASE (C5) | |
| Alpine | Esteban Ocon | OPT (C4) | BASE (C4) | OPT (C4) | BASE (C4) |
| Pierre Gasly | BASE (C4) | OPT (C4) | BASE (C4) | OPT (C4) | |
| Williams | Franco Colapinto | BASE (C5) | OPT (C6) | BASE (C5) | OPT (C6) |
| Alexander Albon | OPT (C6) | BASE (C5) | OPT (C6) | BASE (C5) | |
| RB | Liam Lawson | BASE (C5) | OPT (C6) | BASE (C5) | OPT (C5) |
| Yuki Tsunoda | OPT (C6) | BASE (C5) | OPT (C6) | BASE (C5) | |
| Sauber | Valtteri Bottas | BASE (C5) | OPT (C5) | BASE (C5) | OPT (C5) |
| Zhou Guanyu | OPT (C5) | BASE (C5) | OPT (C5) | BASE (C5) | |
| Haas | Kevin Magnussen | OPT (C4) | BASE (C4) | OPT (C4) | BASE (C4) |
| Nico Hulkenberg | BASE (C4) | OPT (C4) | BASE (C4) | OPT (C4) |
Williams expect Alexander Albon will miss the start of second practice due to the repairs being done to his car after he collided with Oliver Bearman in the first session. They hope to get him out before the chequered flag.
The session has begun. Besides Albon, Max Verstappen has also not left the pits yet, Red Bull are rectifying the problem they discovered on his car at the end of the last session.
Lando Norris, who did not run in the first session as Pato O’Ward was in his car, sets the first time with a 1’19.895. That is swiftly beaten by Pierre Gasly, by a few hundredths of a second.
Times improving quickly again. Sergio Perez gives the locals some cheer with a 1’19.056 to go top – until Oscar Piastri pips that.
Almost a collision in the stadium between Lewis Hamilton and Franco Colapinto.
Sainz now makes a big improvement to a 1’18.276 to lead the times. Gasly goes off briefly at turn one.
Joseph to Norris: “We’re going to try to fix this problem. Perez right behind you.” Verstappen reports “I still hear a weird noise in the engine.” Lambiase replies: “We’re happy for you to continue at the moment.”
Verstappen: “This noise is very disturbing. It can’t be normal.” he’s told to pits. Norris is already in the pits for attention to whatever was up with his car.
Sainz on a strong run at the moment, now down to a 1’17.809, three-quarters of a second quicker than the next-fastest driver, Liam Lawson in the RB.
Red flag: Russell has crashed at turn nine. He’s climbing out of the car but it’s another crash for a Mercedes driver.
Replays of the crash shows Russell rode the kerb very hard in turn eight which unsettled the car and sent him spinning into a barrier.
The session is still under red flag. Russell’s car has been recovered and the marshals are reconstructing the TecPro barrier he hit. But by the time the session resumes they will have lost most or all of the half hour that was added.
Finally the session is restarting. Fernando Alonso leads the team out followed by Kevin Magnussen, Lance Stroll, Lando Norris and the rest.
Norris gets crossed up as he comes out of the stadium, he’s 10th at the moment, but Verstappen is yet to even set a time.
Lambiase to Verstappen: “Recharge on, please, we’ve got the same problem so box.”
Mercedes have confirmed Russell was taken to the medical centre after his heavy crash at turn nine, he has now been released and is okay following his significant impact.
Verstappen’s session is over, Red Bull confirm he will not return to the track following the problem with his car. He has not set a time in second practice.
Ocon: “Something is burning but I don’t think from my car. It smells.”
Peckett: “Okay we’re happy with temperatures at the moment.”
Zhou: “My engine is cutting, guys. I don’t know if you don’t see it but I’m feeling the cutting.”
Hamilton: “Ride is very bad.”
Alonso unwilling to be passed by Norris, tries to repass him at turn six after the McLaren came by at the preceding chicane but ran wide.
Ocon: “Let me know if it’s all okay now before I need the brakes.”
Peckett: “Understood. Approach turn four braking with caution, please, see if this comes back.”
Peckett: “Let’s be cautious braking into 12, please, this should come back.”
A long piece of tape has attached to the floor of Hamilton’s Mercedes and is fluttering out of the back of his car.
Finally with four minutes left we have a few drivers on 2024-spec tyres. Norris, Alonso and Zhou are all on sets of mediums.
Norris does a 1’17.948 on mediums to go fifth, including the fastest time of anyone through the final sector. Hamilton is now on mediums too.
The chequered flag falls and Sainz is fastest in a disrupted and largely inconsequential session. Here’s the full report and times.
2024 Mexican Grand Prix
- McLaren have no regrets over pitting Norris shortly before red flag came out
- Leclerc fined, avoids same penalty as Verstappen after apologising for swearing
- Leclerc not in the clear over swearing as Verstappen claims he went unpunished
- Majority of drivers wanted racing rules to change “straight away” – Russell
- Verstappen was “over the limit” with Norris but others would do same – Leclerc
