Max opens race weekend in Mexico third fastest

Published on 05 November 2021 by Mike Motilall

Max Verstappen has finished the first free practice in the run-up to the Mexican Grand Prix third fastest. On the elevated and 4.304 meter long Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez in Mexico-City, Mercedes running Valtteri Bottas topped the board followed by team mate Lewis Hamilton. Max´ team mate at Red Bull Racing Honda, Sergio Perez, and Pierre Gasly in his AlphaTauri rounded out the top five.

At the start of the session the weather conditions are fine, there is plenty of sunshine, the ambient temperature is 17 degrees and the track temperature is 37 degrees. When the lights turn green at the end of the pit lane there is immediate action on track. The circuit is quite dusty, evident by the many dustclouds behind the cars. `There is so much dust´, says Charles Leclerc on the radio after just a few meters.

After a few minutes, Max is also out and about on the track. The Dutchman has started his weekend on a set of the hard compound tyres. His team mate Perez has also strapped on the white walled tyres. Mercedes has clearly opted to take a different path as both Hamilton and Bottas are on the softs during the opening stages. Max´ first flying lap puts him in P4.

After ten minutes, Leclerc puts his Ferrari rear end first in the tyre wall at Turn 16 and subsequently damages his rear wing. A few seconds later, Perez does the same. Both drivers are forced to head back in for repairs while a virtual safety car is triggered in order to have the debris taken care of at the final combination of corners.

Shortly after the VSC-situation has been ended, Gasly leap frogs to the top of the timesheet. Max is by then third fastest while Hamilton outbrakes himself entering Turn one. Not much later, Bottas does the same. Max is slowly getting into shape and advances to P1. However, this is just briefly as Hamilton shortly takes over that position from the championship leader.

Things have gone South for Perez. The Mexican is out of his car while the mechanics are busy on his RB16B. The car has been raised and the rear wing and floor have been taken off. Obviously the car has suffered more damage than was initially apparent. Leclerc however is still in his Ferrari, on his car only a section of the exhaust and rear wing is replaced. At the front of the field we see Max and Lewis taking turns for the lead. Halfway the session, the difference between the two title contenders is just a few hundredths of a second as the Briton takes the upperhand.

With still 25 minutes on the clock, Bottas takes P1 on a new set of softs. Meanwhile Hamilton and Max are also on track on a new set of the soft compound tyre. Hamilton ends his first attempt on that tyre compound in P2, which turns to P3 the moment Max jumps to P1. Max bettered Bottas´time by almost four tenths. In the mean time Red Bull has sent Perez back out again and even Leclerc is also making tracks.

With still well over fifteen minutes on the clock, Bottas takes over P1. His softs are only seven laps old and still have enough in them to squeeze out one more fast lap. The Finn heads back in to his team immediately after. Max has also gone back to his team by now. With Max in P2, Gasly P4, Perez P5 and Yuki Tsunoda in P8, things are looking good for the Honda powered cars. Tsunoda, just like Lance Stroll, is facing a grid-penalty for changing multiple engine parts.

With still eight minutes to go, Max has once again ventured out on the set of the hards he started the session with. The Dutchman has dropped to P3 because Hamilton has gone a bit faster when Verstappen was still inside. During the closing stages, on a set of softs, Perez moves up one spot at the expense of Gasly which is also the final change of positions in the top five. And with that the session comes to an end.

Win a by Max Verstappen signed Red Bull Racing Driver Cap 2021!

Results first free practice Mexico: