Advantage to Max Verstappen and Red Bull after the opening day’s practice action in Mexico; Watch Qualifying at 8pm on Saturday live only on Sky Sports F1
By James Galloway
Last Updated: 05/11/21 10:19pm
Max Verstappen showed why Red Bull are considered the favourites for the Mexico City GP by comfortably setting the pace in Practice Two, as Lewis Hamilton finished third.
Mercedes may have finished first and second in Friday’s opening session but Red Bull, the quickest car on F1’s previous three visits to the at-altitude Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez, showed their RB16B’s pace in the more-representative afternoon session – especially in Verstappen’s hands.
The championship leader’s best lap of 1:17.301 was 0.424s quicker than Valtteri Bottas with Hamilton a further tenth back in third place.
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The Mercedes pair of Lewis Hamilton and Valtteri Bottas both went across the grass during Practice Two ahead of the Mexico City GP.
Hamilton, who was reprimanded by stewards in the lunch break for not re-entering the track correctly after a mistake in the first session, also ran across the grass on his first stint of the afternoon before working his way back up the timesheet.
While satisfied with his team’s start to the event, Red Bull boss Christian Horner nonetheless suggested: “I think Mercedes have still got a bit in the pocket, so I don’t think we have seen their full potential yet.
“But focusing on ourselves, it was a reasonable day.”
Home favourite Sergio Perez was fourth, nearly 0.6s back on team-mate Verstappen, with Carlos Sainz fifth in the lead Ferrari.
McLaren’s Daniel Ricciardo and Williams’ George Russell were both forced out early in the session with gearbox issues on their respective cars.
More to follow…