2022 Mexico City Grand Prix – FP1 & FP2

With the end of 2022 approaching fast, the Formula 1 paddock heads to Mexico City for the 20th race of the season. Join Supercars.com.GH as we take a look at the first two final practice sessions around the festivity-filled Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez.

Free Practice 1

The first practice session saw a lot of new faces step into F1 machinery in place of the regular drivers. In total, there were five new drivers – Nyck de Vries stepping in the Mercedes in place of George Russell, Logan Sargent taking the place of Alex Albon, Liam Lawson replacing Yuki Tsunoda in the AlphaTauri, Pietro Fittipaldi replacing Kevin Magnussen and Jack Doohan stepping into the Alpine of Esteban Ocon.

However, it was not a particularly great day for the rookies, as a few of them experienced technical issues. Fittipaldi had to stop the Haas on track due to a possible power unit issue, while Lawson and Doohan all faced problems of their own.

Up at the front, it was the two Ferraris who reigned supreme. After a disappointing DNF last week, Carlos Sainz was on the hunt for redemption. The Spaniard recorded the fastest time of the session, 0.04 seconds in front of his Monegasque teammate. P3 went to the hometown hero – Sergio Perez, who will surely be looking for a great result in front of his friends and family.

Carlos Sainz 1:20.707
Charles Leclerc 1:20.753
Sergio Perez 1:20.827

Free Practice 2

Similar to last week, FP2 was an extended session with the intention of testing the 2023 Pirelli tires. A lot of drivers were on the limits, testing out the new rubber ahead of their debut next season.

The problems encountered by Haas were more severe than expected, and the engine of Kevin Magnussen’s car had to be replaced to get him back out on track. The change of power units means the Danish driver will face a grid drop on the Grand Prix this Sunday.

After securing P2 during the first practice session, Charles Leclerc was on pace in FP2 as well. However, a sudden snap of the rear spun his Ferrari around, sending him crashing into the safety barrier. Luckily the driver was able to walk away, but his car was not so lucky. The Ferrari engineers have their work cut out in order to get the F1-75 back on track for the crucial qualifying session tomorrow.

George Russell 1:19.970
Yuki Tsunoda 1:20.798
Esteban Ocon 1:21.177

With Mercedes topping FP2, it casts a doubt on whether the silver arrows have unlocked some pace during the last few races of the season. Will Hamilton and Russell be able to turn their winless season around? Or will either Red Bull or Ferrari run away to the chequered flag? Stay tuned with us to find out the latest updates from the 2022 Mexico City Grand Prix. Also, don’t forget to vote for SUpercars.com.Gh in the 2022 Ghana Auto Industry awards!