George Russell set the pace during the first practice session of the Mexican Grand Prix, securing the top spot. He was followed closely by Carlos Sainz, with Yuki Tsunoda rounding out the top three.
The session was full of surprises with two red flags disrupting the flow. Despite this, Russell maintained his lead for most of the hour, showing speed on both hard and soft tires, just edging out Sainz’s Ferrari.
Unexpected Twists and Turns:
Tsunoda found extra speed on soft tires, climbing into third place, narrowly beating Max Verstappen‘s Red Bull. Verstappen had to stop early due to a power issue. Nico Hulkenberg completed the top five in his Haas, while Oscar Piastri‘s McLaren lagged behind. Esteban Ocon and Valtteri Bottas secured spots in the top ten, ahead of Liam Lawson in another VCARB.
Sergio Perez finished in tenth place and hopes to improve for his home crowd’s delight. Andrea Kimi Antonelli shone among FP1 rookies at P12, while IndyCar star Pato O’Ward took P13, thrilling local fans.
The first red flag appeared just five minutes into the session due to debris on the track that needed clearing before it caused trouble. The second red flag was more dramatic: Alex Albon collided with Ollie Bearman in sector two. Albon lost control on a fast lap when he had to slow down as Bearman was on a cool-down lap right on the racing line. This led to Albon spinning and hitting Bearman, sending Williams into barriers and damaging Ferrari’s suspension—both cars couldn’t continue after this strange mishap.
Fans might think this chaotic start adds excitement to the race weekend!
My first gravel race win today at the FNLD GRVL 114km lakes course 🇫🇮
Hero @tiffanycromwell won the women’s 177km race 💙#VB77 #FNLDGRVL @canyon_bikes pic.twitter.com/F6rT3kAEho
— Valtteri Bottas (@ValtteriBottas) June 15, 2024
What do you think about these unexpected events? Will they shake up the race results?
