-
Red Bull go against Max Verstappen wishes with security decision for Mexico Grand Prix.
But Verstappen’s popularity in Mexico has been affected by his perceived relationship with hometown hero Sergio ‘Checo’ Perez.
26th October 2023, 2:50 pm
Sean O'Brien
talkSPORT
Formula 1 star Max Verstappen will be protected by bodyguards at the upcoming Mexican Grand Prix. The Red Bull driver wrapped up his third title in record-equalling time earlier this season.
Rumours suggest Red Bull are considering getting rid of Perez one year before his contract expires amid questions over his form. The saga has led to a backlash from Mexican fans towards Verstappen, which was demonstrated at the US Grand Prix last weekend.
Perez is hugely popular in Texas and the Dutch national anthem was drowned out with boos towards Verstappen and chants of ‘Checo! Checo! Checo!’ This aside, drivers have complained about fan behaviour in the paddock at the Mexican Grand Prix before.
‘Speaking to F1-Insider on the use of bodyguards for Verstappen’s safety, Red Bull Motorsport Advisor Helmut Marko explained: “Max doesn’t actually want that and is relaxed’;
https://talksport.com/sport/1617240/
'Marko confirms Verstappen BODYGUARDS' for Mexican Grand Prix
Thursday 26 October 2023 12:42
Cal Gaunt
GPFans
Red Bull advisor Helmut Marko has reportedly confirmed that bodyguards will be provided to ensure the safety of Max Verstappen during the Mexican Grand Prix.
According to F1-Insider, Marko has confirmed that the team will have two bodyguards in place for Verstappen in Mexico City, but insists it's only as an act of precaution. "Max doesn’t actually want that and is relaxed," he told the publication. But we have responsibility for him, so we just want to be on the safe side.”
'Marko confirms Verstappen BODYGUARDS';
https://www.gpfans.com/en/f1-news/10...co-grand-prix/
Red Bull to give Max Verstappen bodyguards at Sergio Perez’s home race, the F1 Mexico City Grand Prix
26 Oct 2023
James Dielhenn
Crash.Net
Red Bull will reportedly give Max Verstappen two bodyguards to protect him this weekend in Mexico. While his teammate Sergio Perez returns to home soil where he is idolised at the F1 Mexico City Grand Prix, it’s a different story for Verstappen.
Threats via social media were a main reason why Red Bull opted for extra security, the report states. Red Bull also reportedly expect Perez to minimise the hostility from fans aimed at Verstappen through a public statement.
‘Two bodyguards’;
https://www.crash.net/f1/news/103911...me-race-mexico
Pirelli explain Mexican Grand Prix tyre test
25 October 2023, 8:00PM
Author Ewan Gale
RacingNews365
Pirelli will introduce a prototype C4 tyre for teams to trial during Friday practice at the Mexico City Grand Prix. The Italian manufacturer is in the process of homologating its compounds for next season, where F1 will tackle 24 races between March and November.
"Mexico gives us the chance to try out a new variant of the C4 with all the teams," said Head of Motorsport Mario Isola.”
"During the two hours of free practice on Friday, each driver will have two sets of these new prototypes to use as they wish. Once we have analysed all the data, we will then decide whether or not to homologate this version for use in 2024."
‘Tyre test’;
https://racingnews365.com/pirelli-ex...prix-tyre-test
Podcast: Perez's patchy F1 form ahead of pivotal home race
How pivotal a race might the 2023 Mexican Grand Prix be in the Formula 1 career of Sergio Perez?
Oct 26, 2023
The Race
Attention is on Perez heading to his home race given his tricky run of late in the RB19, and the panel ask whether he's turned a corner - having responded to two dreadful weekends with a solid performance at Austin - in time for the visit to the Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez circuit he's scored podiums at in the last two years.
What route Perez needs to take to get the best out of Red Bull's cars and the key quality he needs to show Red Bull are also considered - as is the role successfully exhibiting those could play in Perez staking his claim for a 2025 contract extension.
There's a closer look too at Perez's hero status in Mexico and whether he can use his home support to raise his performance level, at how his slump in competitiveness has been received in Mexico, and whether second in the F1 standings is his to lose or win.
‘Perez's patchy F1 form’;
https://www.the-race.com/formula-1/p...-f1-home-race/
-
Lewis Hamilton fumes as F1 rivals got away with "illegal" cars in Mexico GP rant at FIA.
Lewis Hamilton believes more cars should be checked after races after being disqualified from last Sunday's United States Grand Prix.
27th Oct. 2023, 08:50
By Tom BlowSports Writer
The Mirror
The seven-time world champion finished second last time out after producing one of Mercedes' best displays since 2021 when they last won the Constructors' Championship. Yet Hamilton was forced to return his runners-up trophy after being disqualified. Hamilton's car was declared illegal during a post-race review for excessive wear on the underfloor skid blocks. It was a frustrating climax to the Brit's race weekend after finishing in P2, a result that's hard to achieve due to the dominance of Red Bull.
Hamilton's car was only reviewed because of a spot check. The Mercedes icon believes all cars should be reviewed after races to ensure the process is equal. He thinks that "far more" cars would've been found illegal if all 20 were checked last Sunday. "What's crazy is they only test four cars, 50 cent fail," said Hamilton ahead of this Sunday's Mexican Grand Prix. "And I've had information from many others that were also illegal but they got away with it. That's messed up."
He added: "There have been many other scenarios like this where some people have got away with certain things and some people have got unlucky and got tested. There needs to be some form of better structure to make sure it is fair and even across the board."
‘Lewis Hamilton fumes’;
https://www.mirror.co.uk/sport/formu...p-fia-31291744
'Rules are rules' – Leclerc accepts ‘completely fair’ Austin disqualification as he sets target for Mexico City GP
26 October 2023
Formula1 Official Site
Charles Leclerc has called his disqualification from the United States Grand Prix “completely fair” after both his and Lewis Hamilton’s cars were found to be in breach of the regulations following the event.
It was a challenging race in Austin for Leclerc, with the Ferrari driver having slipped back from pole position to P6 by the chequered flag. He later suggested that adopting a one-stop strategy had been “wrong” and that the team needed to understand why their predictions for the plan had been incorrect.
When asked in the build-up to the Mexico City Grand Prix about the processes Ferrari had put in place to ensure that a scenario like the disqualification could not happen again, Leclerc explained: “It’s a very difficult question to answer, especially on a Sprint weekend, because at the end we only have one session to actually set up the ride height of the car, and once we’ve finished FP1 we are nowhere.
'Rules are rules';
https://www.formula1.com/en/latest/a...KzWcIa9Qw.html
Hamilton: Window closing for Mercedes to keep alive F1 streak
27 October 7:30AM
Author Fergal Walsh
Co-author Aaron Deckers
RacingNews365
Lewis Hamilton has suggested that Mercedes could be in the fight at the front of the field during the Mexico City Grand Prix weekend, with only one other chance to win in 2023 afterwards.
Mercedes has not yet won a race this season with the only non-Red Bull victory coming in Singapore through Ferrari and Carlos Sainz in a season otherwise dominated by Max Verstappen with 15 wins from 18 races.
Last time out in the United States, Hamilton had strong pace throughout the Grand Prix and crossed the line in second place before he was disqualified for a technical infringement, as he looks to end his own personal win drought stretching back to the 2021 Saudi Arabian Grand Prix.
‘Window closing’;
https://racingnews365.com/hamilton-u...nces-in-mexico
Mexican GP: Thursday's build-up in pictures
26/10/2023 at 23:00
Michael Delaney
F1i.com
It’s on to the second leg of F1’s grueling triple header and to the always colorful Mexican GP at the Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez.
Here is out first batch of pictures of the weekend from round 19 of the 2023 F1 world championship.
‘Thursday's build-up in pictures’;
https://f1i.com/news/491269-mexican-...ictures-4.html
Mexican GP: F1 tech images from the pitlane explained
OCT 27, 2023, 8:39 AM
AUTHOR Matt Somerfield
CO-AUTHOR Giorgio Piola
Motorsport.com
Ferrari has opted for more cooling at the Mexican Grand Prix, as the rarified air at the circuit's altitude means teams are less concerned about the ill effects running so much cooling might have on the aerodynamic output.
McLaren looks set to employ a high downforce rear wing and beam wing layout from the suite of options at their disposal, which also includes an open-ended endplate and tip section solution. Note also the placement of a kiel probe array in the central portion of the wing that the team will use to collect data during FP1.
The front wing on the Mercedes W14 also has a Gurney in the central, moveable section of the upper flap. It’s a high downforce rear wing configuration for Mercedes in Mexico, as you’d expect, with the team employing its version of the open-ended endplate tip section. Also note the heat tape that’s been added to the front and rear brake drums.
‘F1 tech images from the pitlane explained’;
https://www.motorsport.com/f1/news/m...ined/10538294/
Max Verstappen sends message to ‘disrespectful’ fans ahead of Mexican Grand Prix
Thursday 26 Oct 2023 10:25 pm
Callum McAvoy
Metro.co.uk
Max Verstappen has called for Formula One fans to have more respect for all the drivers on the grid after he was booed at last weekend’s United States Grand Prix. The three-time champion was jeered while celebrating his win in Texas, partially by Mexican fans who were supporting his Red Bull teammate Sergio Perez.
The organisers of the Mexican Grand Prix have launched the #racepect campaign as a reaction to the ‘unfortunate statements and attitudes in recent years and during the current championship we have seen’. Asked about the campaign, Verstappen told Sky Sports it was: ‘Good that they’re raising awareness not only in our sport but lots of different sports.’
‘I arrived Tuesday evening and honestly the reception I’ve got has been great, very nice. People always have questions about it but for me I’m here to do my job and so far the welcome I’ve got has been amazing and has always been amazing. Hopefully it will stay like that for everyone and that is why they’re trying to promote that. It’s not only about here, it’s in general in the sport right now.’
‘Have more respect for all the drivers’;
https://metro.co.uk/2023/10/26/f1-ma...o=newsnow-feed
There’s no place like home but the pressure’s on for Sergio Perez in Mexico
Thursday 26 Oct 2023 7:33 pm
Adam Hay-Nicholls
Metro.co.uk
It’s difficult to ascertain how much pressure Sergio Perez is under on the eve of his home grand prix. The Mexican has, clearly, underperformed in a Red Bull that is by far and away the best car this season, and one of the most dominant – in Max Verstappen’s hands, at least – of all time. But Red Bull insist he’ll still be driving for them next year.
If ever there was a time to change the narrative it’s now. Perez would love nothing more than to finish the season on a high at home, and on to Sao Paulo, Las Vegas and Abu Dhabi with a spring in his step. But it’s all psychological. Whatever this barrier is, it’s been reinforced by Verstappen’s constant winning. Perez needs a clean weekend, no mistakes. He won’t want that 39-point buffer to Hamilton to shrink.
If he doesn’t hang on to second in the championship, some have questioned whether his contract with Red Bull will be honoured for next year. Christian Horner has gone out of his way not to be too critical of Checo’s performances, in public at least, and has moved to dispel some of that pressure.
‘There’s no place like home’;
https://metro.co.uk/2023/10/26/sergi...o=newsnow-feed
-
Perez sets sights on achieving his 'biggest dream' of winning his home race in Mexico.
Sergio Perez has set his sights on having the “perfect weekend” as he looks to achieve his “biggest dream” of lifting the first place trophy in front of his home crowd at the Mexico City Grand Prix.
26 October 2023
Formula One - Official Site
Perez is set to race at home for the eighth time in his career, and he has finished inside the top-10 at all but one of those events – in 2018 when he was forced to retire with a brake issue. His record at his home race since joining Red Bull in 2021 makes for even better reading, as he has finished third at the last two events.
When asked if he had dreamt about winning in front of the Foro Sol, Perez said: “It would be insane. “That's obviously... that [would] be my biggest dream, to achieve that this weekend. Now [it is] full focus on tomorrow, the practice, and [to] try to get a perfect weekend here.”
To get that win Perez will be hoping to recapture the sort of form he showed when he last won a race – which was at the Azerbaijan Grand Prix in April. The Mexican showed good pace in Austin last time out, where he placed fifth on the road before gaining a place after Lewis Hamilton was disqualified.
'Biggest dream: “It would be insane”!’
https://www.formula1.com/en/latest/a...JpTZBkxxc.html
Max Verstappen discusses Sergio Perez relationship ahead of Mexico City GP
Max Verstappen and Sergio Perez's relationship will be under the spotlight in Mexico City
October 27, 2023
By Roman Brock
Total Motorsport
Max Verstappen has played down talk of a rivalry between himself and Red Bull team-mate Sergio Perez ahead of the 2023 Mexico City Grand Prix. The Dutchman and the Mexican are the top two drivers in the Formula 1 driver standings but it is the former who has won the world championship at a canter this year.
“That’s made up,” said Verstappen to the press in Mexico on a rivalry between the two. “Checo and I get on really well and I mean, for us, I don’t think there is any rivalry. Obviously as a driver on track you always want to be first but I think we have a lot of respect for each other and we appreciate each other’s performances.”
To pre-empt hostility, #RacePect has been plastered around the Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez in a bid to try and quell some of what could be directed to Verstappen, whilst he has been quick to play down any idea that there is a bad relationship between himself and his team-mate.
‘Quell and play down’;
https://www.total-motorsport.com/f1-...exico-city-gp/
High altitude AND high drama! Will we finally see a good Mexico City GP?
There's just four races to go in the 2023 F1 season, starting with the Mexico City GP
October 27, 2023
By Adam Dickinson
Total Motorsport
Formula 1 arrives in Mexico City on a high after a scintillating 2023 United States GP, though mercifully for teams it’s a standard three-practice weekend this time. In the middle of an Americas triple-header with Interlagos coming up next, the Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez at least always plays host to some of the most passionate fans in F1.
Can Checo Perez perform? “It’s very different,” Perez told the media. “It’s the weekend you want to be perfect, the weekend that you want to maximise your result. And if there’s one particular grand prix that you want to win it’s your home grand prix.”
“Once I’m in the car, it’s a lot easier. It’s very easy, it comes naturally, but when you are out of the car or even in the paddock, the attention is very different, a lot of flies on you and a lot of support from the crowd.”
‘High altitude AND high drama!’;
https://www.total-motorsport.com/f1-...exico-city-gp/
Aston Martin spark Mexico GP intrigue with unique rear wing configuration
27 Oct 2023 9:45 AM
Uros Radovanovic
PlanetF1.com
After perhaps the most exciting race of the season in Texas, we’re heading straight to Mexico for one of the more unique challenges on the calendar. This high-altitude track can pose serious challenges to the teams. So, let’s take a closer look at the cars and see who could potentially benefit the most from this track.
The burning question is which of the leading teams will benefit the most from this unique track set-up? First and foremost, teams like Mercedes and Aston Martin, which introduced significant upgrades last week, should be noted.
An interesting note is that Aston Martin is the only team this weekend without a gurney flap on the rear wing. This aero element is placed on the trailing edge of the rear wing, preventing airflow separation on the wing’s underside. This increases downforce, which is crucial in Mexico.
‘Aston Martin spark Mexico GP intrigue’;
https://www.planetf1.com/news/aston-...-configuration
Ferrari’s unwell F1 drivers in Mexico
14:15, 27th October 2023.
by Andrew Maitland
Grandpx.news
Ferrari is navigating a tricky situation as both their drivers, Charles Leclerc and Carlos Sainz, grapple with health issues ahead of the Mexico Grand Prix. On media day at the circuit, Leclerc was noticeably alone, engaging with the press and attending PR events with only reserve driver Robert Shwartzman sometimes by his side.
Sainz, his usual race teammate, was conspicuously absent, confined to the hotel and “feeling unwell,” as stated by the Maranello-based team. Ferrari maintained a positive outlook, however, assuring that “nothing serious” was at play and expressing their expectation for Sainz to be back and ready for action the following day.
Leclerc, though present at the track, was not in peak condition himself. He revealed an ongoing battle with pain, a challenge he also faced during the US GP weekend. Initially suspecting an impacted wisdom tooth, Leclerc had to rely on painkillers to get through the events. Unfortunately, the issue persisted into the Mexico GP.
‘Ferrari’s unwell F1 drivers in Mexico’;
https://grandpx.news/ferraris-unwell...ers-in-mexico/
McLaren racing into F1 Mexico City Grand Prix on podium streak by Norris and Piastri
27th October 2023, 07:06
Associated Press
McLaren still likes to be coy about its expectations from week to week. Before the Texas race, Norris tried to downplay the team’s chances on a track he said would expose its weakness in slow speed corners. Norris had barely finished the U.S. Grand Prix when he was already suggesting McLaren could struggle in Mexico City and Brazil, the next race.
“I think our best chances (to win) are gone,” Norris said. “There’s no super high speed circuits left, which is where we are strong. I don’t think they are any good ones for us coming up. Think our best have come and gone.” Verstappen wasn’t buying it. “You are always quick (in Brazil),” Verstappen told Norris.
‘Podium streak by Norris and Piastri’;
https://apnews.com/article/norris-pi...ef96211c842a86
-
F1 Mexico GP: Verstappen pips Albon by 0.095s in FP1.
The Anglo-Thai driver split the Red Bulls, as Perez was approximately 0.3s behind Verstappen's headline time. This put him above Norris after the Briton's brief spell at the top.
27th October 2023, 20:42
AUTHORJake Boxall-Legge
Motorsport.com
Verstappen logged a 1m19.718s on softs, having dispatched Lando Norris from the top spot as the McLaren driver had been among the first of the frontrunners to switch to the red-walled tyre.
Norris had gone just 0.008s faster than Verstappen's medium-tyre effort of a 1m20.245s - but the Dutchman returned to the top on his first soft run.
Albon then set the best first sector as he offered Verstappen more than a token challenge and, although the Williams driver lost a sprinkling of time in the following two splits, he still sat within a tenth of his former team-mate.
‘Verstappen pips Albon’;
https://www.motorsport.com/f1/news/f...-fp1/10538804/
F1 Mexico City Grand Prix 2023 - Friday Practice Results
27 Oct 2023
Connor McDonagh
Crash.Net
2023 F1 Mexico City Grand Prix - Free Practice Results (1)
Pos Driver Nat. Team Time
1 Max Verstappen NED Oracle Red Bull Racing 1m19.718s
2 Alex Albon THA Williams Racing 1m19.813s
3 Sergio Perez MEX Oracle Bull Racing 1m20.015s
4 Lando Norris GBR McLaren F1 Team 1m20.237s
5 Charles Leclerc MON Scuderia Ferrari 1m20.297s
6 Oscar Piastri AUS McLaren F1 Team 1m20.463s
7 Carlos Sainz ESP Scuderia Ferrari 1m20.479s
8 Daniel Ricciardo AUS Scuderia AlphaTauri 1m20.568s
9 Esteban Ocon FRA BWT Alpine F1 Team 1m20.677s
10 Lance Stroll CAN Aston Martin Aramco Cognizant Formula One Team 1m20.687s
‘Results from Friday practice at the United States Grand Prix, Round 19 of the F1 2023 world championship’;
https://www.crash.net/f1/results/103...actice-results
AS IT HAPPENED: Follow all the action from first practice for the Mexico City Grand Prix
27 October 2023
Becky Hart.
Special Contributor.
Formula One - Official Site
‘AS IT HAPPENED’;
https://www.formula1.com/en/latest/a...67G0iaYpo.html
F1 Mexico City Grand Prix 2023 - Friday Practice: LIVE UPDATES!
27th October 2023, 19:40
Reporting By: Connor McDonagh
Crash.Net
The Mexico City Grand Prix kicks off with two practice sessions on Friday. Follow all of the F1 action here with the Crash.net.
‘LIVE UPDATES!’;
https://www.crash.net/f1/live/f1-mex...e-live-updates
F1 Live - Mexico GP Free Practice 1 Watchalong | Live timings + Commentary
27 October 2023
Racing Statistics
F1 Live Mexico Grand Prix FP1 Watchalong | Mexican GP Live F1 Live Timings, Updates and Commentary of all F1 Sessions with Racing Statistics. Lets Watchalong!
‘Free Practice 1 Watchalong’;
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HirXL79qIGA
Mexican GP practice one: Albon splits the Red Bulls
Oct 27, 2023
by Ben Anderson
The Race
Alex Albon came within a tenth of a second of beating Max Verstappen to the fastest time in first practice for Formula 1's Mexican Grand Prix, as Williams proved Red Bull’s closest challenger in the early running at the Mexico City circuit.
Key moments
• Verstappen fastest for Red Bull
• Albon beats Perez to second
• Three rookies make F1 debuts
•
There’s a good chance the Williams ran higher power settings on its Mercedes engine for this session compared to Red Bull’s Honda unit - something Williams often does on Fridays - but Albon’s pace was still impressive.
‘Mexican GP practice one’;
https://www.the-race.com/formula-1/m...the-red-bulls/
-
Mexico GP: Verstappen stays on top in Practice 2.
Max Verstappen completed a Friday sweep by leading Practice 2 at the Mexico City Grand Prix.
27 October 2023
Ben Issatt
Inside Racing
The reigning world champion was fastest in a very tight session at the Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez, with less than a second covering the top 16 cars. Lando Norris was closest to the Red Bull driver, finishing just over a tenth behind in second for McLaren with Charles Leclerc taking third for Ferrari.
The start of the session saw Alex Albon maintain his strong pace from Practice 1, leading Verstappen by just 0.01s on the prototype C4 tyre. A nearby dark cloud threw some spots of rain to the final corner but didn't disrupt the early running. Max would switch to mediums for his second run and upped the pace with the fastest time of the weekend on a 1m19.5s, a tenth clear of Leclerc.
Oscar Piastri briefly displaced the Red Bull at the top after being among the first onto the soft compound, with Albon going second on the red-marked tyre. Fernando Alonso's tricky Friday continued with a high-speed spin on the kerb at Turn 9, destroying his soft tyre run in the Aston Martin.
‘Verstappen stays on top’;
https://www.insideracing.com/formula...-in-practice-2
(FP2) Second Practice Results – 2023 Mexican Grand Prix
28th October 2023
by Emer Hedderman
FormulaSpy
Results (Classification):
1. Max Verstappen Red Bull Racing -1:18.686
2. Lando Norris McLaren +0.119
3. Charles Leclerc Scuderia Ferrari +0.266
4. Valtteri Bottas Alfa Romeo +0.269
5. Sergio Perez Red Bull Racing +0.302
6. Daniel Ricciardo AlphaTauri +0.316
7. Lewis Hamilton Mercedes +0.338
8. Esteban Ocon Alpine +0.391
9. Oscar Piastri McLaren +0.477
10. George Russell Mercedes +0.541
‘Mexican Grand Prix – Here are the complete results from the second practice session ahead of this weekend’s 2023 F1 World Championship race in Mexico City’;
https://formulaspy.com/f1/fp2-second...and-prix-83384
AS IT HAPPENED: Follow all the action from second practice for the Mexico City Grand Prix
27 October 2023
Becky Hart
Special Contributor.
Formula One - Official Site
‘AS IT HAPPENED’;
https://www.formula1.com/en/latest/a...Y4keDfo0W.html
F1 Mexico City Grand Prix 2023 - Friday Practice: As it happened
28thOctober 2023, 00:14
Reporting By: Connor McDonagh
Crash.Net
The Mexico City Grand Prix kicks off with two practice sessions on Friday. Follow all of the F1 action here with the Crash.net.
‘As it happened’;
https://www.crash.net/f1/live/f1-mex...ce-it-happened
F1 Live - Mexico GP Free Practice 2 Watchalong | Live timings + Commentary
27 October 2023
Racing Statistics
F1 Live Mexico Grand Prix FP1 Watchalong | Mexican GP Live F1 Live Timings, Updates and Commentary of all F1 Sessions with Racing Statistics. Lets Watchalong!
‘Free Practice 2 Watchalong’;
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7LpseNffLO8
Mexico City GP weekend going ‘better than I expected’ – Verstappen
28 Oct 2023
Formula One - Official Site (Video)
Max Verstappen said he’d had “a positive start to the weekend” after going P1 in both FP1 and FP2 at the Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez.
‘Better than I expected’;
https://www.formula1.com/en/latest/v...852225585.html
Alonso says Aston Martin will ‘see where we are tomorrow’ after working on race pace on Friday
28 Oct 2023
Formula One - Official Site (Video)
Fernando Alonso was at the bottom of the time sheets after second practice in Mexico, but said after the session he was concentrating on high-fuel long-run performance, so it was not a true reflection of his pace.
‘See where we are tomorrow’;
https://www.formula1.com/en/latest/v...507211246.html
-
Leclerc: Ferrari unlikely to repeat US shock in Mexican GP.
Charles Leclerc believes it will be a "huge surprise" if Ferrari can challenge for pole position at the Mexico City Grand Prix.
28 October 8:45AM
Author Rory Mitchell
RacingNews365
The Monogasque was third quickest and 0.266s slower than the best time set by Max Verstappen in the opening day's running at the Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez with Lando Norris separating the two, with Leclerc coming off a surprise pole position last time out in the United States.
While it was a reasonable day for his side of the Ferrari garage, Leclerc, who was disqualified from sixth place in Austin due to excessive plan wear, feels the SF-23 package is just not quick enough to be challenging at the top come the sharp end of qualifying.
Leclerc: We've got work to do: When asked about his chances of taking back-to-back poles for the first time this season, Leclerc conceded to F1TV that: "It will be a huge surprise if we achieve pole position, but never say never. "It's a tricky track, it's very difficult to put the lap together, but I feel like this weekend we are a bit too far away. We've still got a lot of work to do.”
‘SF-23 package is just not quick enough’;
https://racingnews365.com/leclerc-ma...rget-in-mexico
Ferrari boss admits Mexico struggles after tough Friday running
Saturday 28 October 2023 02:12
Shay Rogers
GPFans
Fred Vasseur has revealed that Ferrari struggled to come to terms with conditions during Friday’s running for the Mexican Grand Prix and have work to do to improve across the rest of the weekend. Despite their struggles, Vasseur believes that teams up and down the pitlane are struggling to cope with the conditions of the Mexican altitude.
“We are all struggling to find the right feeling this weekend,” he told Sky Sport Italia. “We will have a better look tomorrow. We’re very focused on cooling down the engine and the tyres, and we will work on that tomorrow to be ready for the race.”
“We are all struggling”;
https://www.gpfans.com/en/f1-news/10...an-grand-prix/
Norris regrets showing McLaren's Mexican GP pace 'too early'
28 October 9:25AM
Author Rory Mitchell
RacingNews365
Lando Norris felt his quickest effort during practice for the Mexico City Grand Prix was "too quick" for so early in the weekend as he nipped at Max Verstappen's heels.
"Many drivers were within three-tenths, but I think it was a good Friday and good start to the weekend," Norris told F1 TV with the top eight drivers down to Esteban Ocon close behind Verstappen.
"Things could swing very quickly either way. I did a very good lap, maybe it was too good for this early in the weekend, but we'll continue to try and improve.”
"Too quick", 'Too early'’;
https://racingnews365.com/norris-sho...rly-in-weekend
McLaren challenge Red Bull for top spot in rain-hit Mexican Grand Prix practice
Saturday 28 October 2023 01:06
Sam Cook
GPFans
Max Verstappen once again topped practice at the Mexican Grand Prix, building on his FP1 performance by taking first place in a rain-affected FP2.
He finished 0.119 seconds ahead of second-place Lando Norris, with McLaren providing yet more evidence that they now have a car that's capable of challenging for the front row at most races.
‘McLaren challenge’;
https://www.gpfans.com/en/f1-news/10...actice-report/
Sergio Perez and George Russell in agreement as F1 praised for popular new change
Sergio Perez and George Russell have backed up each other's opinions over the latest changes from F1.
07:00, Sat, Oct 28, 2023
By Harry Smith
Daily and Sunday Express
The Mexican GP is always one of the most anticipated events on the F1 calendar thanks to the passion of the home crowd, but that love for the sport has often led to one of the most hectic paddocks of the season with drivers struggling to make their way past swathes of adoring fans to get to team meetings and media duties. Therefore, the decision was made this year to have a quieter paddock. This is something that many drivers have been calling for at different races throughout the season with Alpine’s Pierre Gasly particularly vocal about the increasing difficulty drivers are facing throughout race weekends.
Perez was asked about the changes to the paddock…“We have to make sure that the drivers are comfortably going around the paddock, and I think that that should be a nice balance. And I just want everyone to have a great time in my country and I think that's something that went over the limit last year, that hopefully this year can be improved. Because overall it's in my opinion the best reception for all the drivers in the world."
These opinions were backed up by Mercedes’ Russell, who insisted that he loves to see as many fans as possible in the paddock but admitted that changes were probably needed. "I think for me, the more the merrier is great," the 25-year-old said. "But at the end of the day, we're all here to do a job, and last year, we were struggling just to get from our engineers' office to the garage without people jumping on us and sticking cameras right in our faces.”
‘Sergio Perez and George Russell in agreement’;
https://www.express.co.uk/sport/f1-a...ell-FIA-change
Hamilton bemoans 'night and day' difference in Mercedes
28 October 3:24AM
Author Jake Nichol
RacingNews365
Lewis Hamilton bemoaned the difference in how his Mercedes performed after practice ahead of the Mexico City Grand Prix compared to last weekend in the United States.
"The car is completely night and day different compared to last week, and I just don't know what to say. You never know what you're going to get with the car.”
"Some days she is great, and some days she is not. It is hard to extract the lap, but I think there is definitely performance there - so it is just trying to extract it.”
"Some days she is great”;
https://racingnews365.com/hamilton-b...ce-in-mercedes
Ricciardo: I’ve a top-10 quali car for Mexico City GP
Saturday 28th October, 2023 - 11:29am
By Ian Parkes
Speedcafe
Daniel Ricciardo was left beaming following Friday practice for the Mexico City Grand Prix and expressing confidence of a top-10 place in qualifying.
“I’m definitely confident,” said Ricciardo. “I can’t stand here and predict where I will be because who knows in quali and what other teams might do with fuel or engines.”
“But I know what I felt in the car was good, and I believe that is a top-10 car tomorrow. A top-six car would be nice. I will try to keep that going.”
‘Daniel Ricciardo was left beaming’;
https://www.speedcafe.com/2023/10/28...city-gp-quali/
-
Red Bull’s rivals have time to find – but Perez is closer to Verstappen than it seems.
“We didn’t have a straightforward day,” Perez admitted after he had been safely ferried from the Red Bull garage and through the packed paddock to the media pen.
28th October 2023, 12:2428th October 2023, 12:25
Written by Will Wood
RaceFans
Verstappen finished day one of the Mexican weekend in perfect form. His best time of a 1’18.686 was ultimately four places and three tenths faster than his Red Bull team mate’s personal best – about par for the course for Perez over the period following the summer break. But while the timing screen suggested that there was another small but significant gulf in performance between the two Red Bull drivers, Perez at least could offer a plausible excuse this time by.
“We didn’t get a good read on the softs over a single lap. I had a yellow flag on my lap, so I ended up doing it on the second timed lap. So plenty of things to understand.” Data shows that Perez was far closer to Verstappen’s best time of the day on his first push lap on softs – just 0.072s off from his team mate through the first half of the lap until having to back for yellow flags at turn eight.
Although it’s impossible to know what time he would have eventually posted after completing the lap, it does suggest that at this early stage of the weekend, Perez may not be as far off his team mate as the timing screen suggests.
‘Perez is closer’;
https://www.racefans.net/2023/10/28/...than-it-seems/
Red Bull address reliability concern ahead of 2023 Mexico City GP
Red Bull have won the Mexico City GP four times since 2017
October 28, 2023
By Brandon Sutton
TotalMotorsport.com
Red Bull have introduced an updated cooling louvre to their RB19 ahead of the 2023 Mexico City Grand Prix, as the team aims to solve a reliability concern by combatting the high-altitude of the track. The Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez is situated 2238m above sea-level meaning that the air is much thinner at that altitude. Whilst the benefit is a reduction of drag due to less air resistance, increasing straight-line speed, it does comes with a penalty elsewhere.
The trade-off is that there isn’t as much air to keep the cars cooler and with Formula 1 cars notoriously prone to overheating there can be issues with the power unit or brakes, issues capable of leading to retirement from the 71-lap race. The world champions bid to solve the conundrum by enlarging the forward exit louvres on the right side of their car, with the goal of achieving their desired level of cooling in the lower atmospheric pressure of the Mexican capital.
Red Bull, as part of modern F1 regulations, are mandated to publicly state updates and upgrades brought to any race weekend and this track-specific change is the only one they have brought. The requirement is part of an open-knowledge initiative aiming to help the slower teams find ideas to close up the field spread and thus create closer and more competitive racing.
‘Reliability concern’;
https://www.total-motorsport.com/f1-...exico-city-gp/
Norris emerges as Red Bull’s closest rival in Mexico Practice
October 28, 2023
By: Jaden Diaz-Ndisang
Last Word On Sports
Lando Norris proved competitive for McLaren on the first day of Mexico practice, keeping company with Red Bull and Max Verstappen.
Max Verstappen was fastest across in both sessions, wasting no time in the RB19. Red Bull will be favourites all weekend, but they are accompanied by McLaren. Specifically, the #4 machine of Lando Norris has shown strong pace in Mexico. McLaren has been consistently fast since the Austrian GP, often contending for podium finishes. This weekend should be no different.
‘Red Bull’s closest rival’;
https://lastwordonsports.com/motorsp...xico-practice/
Williams mystified by Albon P2 placing in Mexico FP1
28th October 2023, 14:10
by Taylor Powling
Motorsport Week
Williams Head of Vehicle Performance Dave Robson admits it was “quite a big surprise” when Alex Albon wound up second in FP1 at the Mexico City Grand Prix. Asked if Albon’s FP1 effort provided an unexpected shock to the team, Robson said: “Yes, quite a big surprise, if I’m honest. We still don’t fully understand why.”
“I think it’s quite clear that Alex was very confident and happy in the car, right from the first lap, which makes a big difference. But obviously, the debrief is going on now. I’m not exactly sure whether they’re able to pick it apart. But yeah, it’s definitely a surprise. A nice way to start the weekend but a bit of a surprise.”
‘Williams mystified’;
https://www.motorsportweek.com/2023/...in-mexico-fp1/
Guenther Steiner shares Mexican Grand Prix concerns after Friday practice
28 Oct 2023 1:15 PM
Michelle Foster
PlanetF1.com
Guenther Steiner is worried Haas could be in for a difficult Mexican Grand Prix weekend as their VF-23 package is “just not enough” for the high altitude of Mexico City. Having put a B-spec car on the track at the previous race in Austin, Haas’ upgraded VF-23 is still in its infancy with Kevin Magnussen calling it the “early version” of next year’s car.
Steiner is worried Haas’ high downforce package just isn’t enough to deal with the challenges of the circuit. “It looks like our heaviest downforce package is just not enough for here, we’ve struggled in the slower sectors because of the thin air at this altitude,” said the Italian. “It’s one of these things. We’ll work on it for next year so that our high downforce package works here as well.”
‘Guenther Steiner: “It’s one of these things”!’;
https://www.planetf1.com/news/guenth...mexico-demands
Leclerc: ‘Huge surprise’ if Ferrari challenge for Mexico GP pole
28th October 2023, 13:19
by Sam Tomlinson
Motorsport Week
There is little optimism for Ferrari’s Mexico City Grand Prix weekend as Charles Leclerc warns it will be a ‘huge surprise’ to see a scarlet car challenge for pole on Saturday. Leclerc enters the Mexico race weekend off the back of a pole position in Austin, but the Monegasque is doubtful over the possibility of repeating last weekend’s qualifying result.
“We still have a lot of work to do because the McLaren seems to be extremely strong, obviously the Red Bull and Max seem to be very very strong,” the 21-time polesitter said. “Mercedes are a bit more difficult to read into for now but focusing on ourselves, we know what are the areas we need to work on and hopefully that will help us take a step forward tomorrow.”
‘Little optimism for Ferrari’;
https://www.motorsportweek.com/2023/...exico-gp-pole/
-
F1- Verstappen continues to set the pace in final practice for Mexico City Grand Prix ahead of Albon, Pérez.
Max Verstappen made it a clean sweep of practice sessions at the Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez, topping final practice for the Mexico City Grand Prix ahead of Williams’ Alex Albon and Red Bull team-mate Sergio Pérez.
28.10.23
FIA (Press Release)
The three-time champion was biding his time, however, and when he went out for a final run he returned to the top of the order. It was not by much, though. Quickest in the opening sector, the Dutchman lost time in S2 and crossed the line just 0.070s ahead of Albon. The Dutchman was quickly on the radio to report that he had encountered significant traffic during his lap.
Pérez took third just 0.139s behind Verstappen, followed by Russell, McLaren's Oscar Piastri, the Alfa Romeo of Valtteri Bottas and the AlphaTauri of Yuki Tsunoda. Lando Norris was eighth for McLaren, ahead of Ricciardo and the top 10 was rounded out by Hamilton. The shape of the top 10 might have been different had either Ferrari driver managed a clean lap on Softs at the end of the session with Leclerc and Sainz ending up 13th and 15th respectively.
Sainz was also involved in an incident in which he appeared to be blocked by the slow Aston Martin of Lance Stroll while on a push lap. The Spaniard had to break hard to avoid the Canadian, spinning as a result.
‘Max Verstappen made it a clean sweep of practice sessions’;
https://www.fia.com/news/f1-verstapp...ad-albon-perez
(FP3) Third Practice Results – 2023 Mexican Grand Prix
28th October 2023
by Emer Hedderman
FormulaSpy
Results (Classification):
1. Max Verstappen Red Bull Racing -1:17.887
2. Alex Albon Williams Racing +0.070
3. Sergio Perez Red Bull Racing +0.139
4. George Russell Mercedes +0.361
5. Oscar Piastri McLaren +0.505
6. Valtteri Bottas Alfa Romeo +0.550
7. Yuki Tsunoda AlphaTauri +0.563
8. Lando Norris McLaren +0.593
9. Daniel Ricciardo AlphaTauri +0.612
10. Lewis Hamilton Mercedes +0.635
‘Mexican Grand Prix – Here are the complete results from the final practice session ahead of this weekend’s 2023 F1 World Championship race in Mexico City’;
https://formulaspy.com/f1/fp3-third-...and-prix-83393
AS IT HAPPENED: Follow all the action from third practice for the Mexico City Grand Prix
28 October 2023
Becky Hart
Special Contributor.
‘AS IT HAPPENED’;
https://www.formula1.com/en/latest/a...QL4CXxPyh.html
F1 Mexico City Grand Prix 2023 - Final Practice: LIVE UPDATES
28 October 2023, 18:13
Reporting By: Connor McDonagh
Crash.Net
‘Final Practice: LIVE UPDATES’;
https://www.crash.net/f1/live/f1-mex...g-live-updates
F1 Live - Mexico GP Free Practice 3 Watchalong | Live timings + Commentary
28 October 2023
Racing Statistics
F1 Live Mexico Grand Prix FP3 Watchalong | Mexican GP Live F1 Live Timings, Updates and Commentary of all F1 Sessions with Racing Statistics. Lets Watchalong!
‘Free Practice 3 Watchalong’;
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n0XyEdirjSM
Albon right with Verstappen again in final Mexican GP practice
Oct 28, 2023
by Scott Mitchell-Malm
The Race
Alex Albon split the two Red Bulls in the final practice session for Formula 1’s Mexican Grand Prix to raise hopes of a mighty Williams surprise in qualifying.
KEY MOMENTS
• Verstappen fastest, 0.1s covers the top three
• Starring Albon second-quickest
• Both Ferraris outside the top 10
The top three drivers were covered by just over a tenth of a second at the Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez, with Max Verstappen quickest ahead of Albon and Sergio Perez.
‘Albon right with Verstappen again’;
https://www.the-race.com/formula-1/a...n-gp-practice/
Verstappen pips surprise challenger in FP3 at Mexican Grand Prix
Saturday 28 October 2023 20:54
Shay Rogers
GPFans
Max Verstappen lead his third consecutive practice session at a hot Mexican Grand Prix, ahead of Williams’ Alex Albon in second and home favourite Sergio Perez in third. George Russell had a solid session for Mercedes in fourth, with Oscar Piastri and Valterri Bottas behind in fifth and sixth.
Red Bull tried to spoil everyone’s party as they have so often this season, but Verstappen failed to crack Russell’s lap with his first attempt, despite setting his time on a slightly more rubbered in track. Eventually the Dutchman found his way past and into first place, with Perez lifting himself up the order to leave Red Bull handily placed in first and third halfway through the session.
‘Verstappen pips surprise challenger’;
https://www.gpfans.com/en/f1-news/10...rand-prix-fp3/
Williams admits their Mexican Grand Prix pace is “a big surprise”
Formula 1
Posted on
28th October 2023, 20:02
Written by Keith Collantine
RaceFans
Williams admitted their competitive start to the Mexican Grand Prix weekend has taken them by surprise. Alexander Albon was second-quickest behind Max Verstappen in the opening practice session, a position he repeated in the final hour of running ahead of qualifying on Saturday. The team’s head of vehicle performance Dave Robson said after the first practice Albon’s pace had been “quite a big surprise, if I’m honest.”
“This car obviously has had a reasonable amount of input from Alex over the last couple of years,” he said. “So I think the car is better than it has been in recent years. It still has issues, for sure [but] I think the car for whatever reason was just good straight out of the box, so the set-up work that Alex had done on the simulator clearly helped.”
“He has a good understanding when the car is working well, or when it’s not working in some corners but well in others, he’s quite capable of adapting to that without getting too frustrated,” Robson added. “So he is very good at making the most of what we’re able to give him and in the background that continual sort of medium-term development of the car is going on and he’s leading that and so as we bring the improved parts to the car, if it delivers what he has asked for, then inevitably he finds the lap time.”
“A big surprise”;
https://www.racefans.net/2023/10/28/...-big-surprise/
Stroll causes chaos as F1 rival rages at him ruining flying lap
Saturday 28 October 2023 21:17
Sam Cook
GPFans
Lance Stroll has avoided a penalty after impeding Ferrari's Carlos Sainz during FP3 at the Mexican Grand Prix. Sainz rages at Stroll. The Spaniard wasn't the only Ferrari driver who was left feeling aggrieved during the session.
Charles Leclerc also felt he was impeded, by Haas' Kevin Magnussen who admitted over his team radio that he hadn't seen the Monagasque driver, attempting to blame his engineer for not letting him know he was there…
‘Chaos’;
https://www.gpfans.com/en/f1-news/10...ctice-penalty/
-
Leclerc pole, Ferrari 1-2 and Norris shock elimination in astonishing Mexico City GP.
Charles Leclerc led a shocking Ferrari front-row lockout in a tumultuous, helter-skelter qualifying for the 2023 Mexico City Grand Prix with Max Verstappen third but facing a grid penalty along with both Mercedes.
October 28, 2023
By Adam Dickinson
Total Motorsport
Max Verstappen, Lewis Hamilton and George Russell are all under investigation after qualifying for the 2023 Mexico City GP. Ferrari were 1-2 after their first runs after seeming nowhere in the weekend up until Q3, and no one could improve to depose them on their final runs.
Once the dust settled at the chequered flag in Q3 though, it was Ferrari celebrating a stunning second successive pole position. Daniel Ricciardo made Q3 for the first time since the 2022 Abu Dhabi GP, and will start at least fourth which would’ve been a much bigger talking point at almost any other qualifying session of the year, and Sergio Perez is fifth.
Mercedes had looked like the most likely challengers to Red Bull for pole position and Hamilton topped Q2, but neither driver could challenge at the death and they’ll start sixth and eighth led by the seven-time champion. They were split by Oscar Piastri, while the Alfa Romeos completed the top 10.
‘Leclerc pole, Ferrari 1-2’;
https://www.total-motorsport.com/f1-...exico-city-gp/
Qualifying Results – 2023 Mexican Grand Prix
28th October 2023
by Emer Hedderman
FormulaSpy
Results (Classification):
Q3
1. Charles Leclerc Scuderia Ferrari -1:17.166
2. Carlos Sainz Scuderia Ferrari +0.067
3. Max Verstappen Red Bull Racing +0.097
4. Daniel Ricciardo AlphaTauri +0.216
5. Sergio Perez Red Bull Racing +0.257
6. Lewis Hamilton Mercedes +0.288
7. Oscar Piastri McLaren +0.457
8. George Russell Mercedes +0.508
9. Valtteri Bottas Alfa Romeo +0.866
10. Zhou Guanyu Alfa Romeo +0.884
‘Mexican Grand Prix – Here are the complete results from qualifying for tomorrow’s 2023 F1 World Championship race at the Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez’;
https://formulaspy.com/f1/qualifying...and-prix-83405
LIVE COVERAGE: Follow all the action from qualifying for the Mexico City Grand Prix
28 October 2023
Becky Hart
Special Contributor.
Formula One - Official Site
‘As it happened’;
https://www.formula1.com/en/latest/a...ZCTHV8Ubw.html
F1 Live - Mexico GP Qualifying Watchalong | Live timings + Commentary
28 October 2023
Racing Statistics
F1 Live Mexico Grand Prix Quali Watchalong | Mexican GP Live F1 Live Timings, Updates and Commentary of all F1 Sessions with Racing Statistics. Lets Watchalong!
‘Qualifying Watchalong’;
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5f6i4bVdwKA
Norris suffers shock Mexican GP qualifying elimination
28 October 11:29PM
Author Rory Mitchell
RacingNews365
Lando Norris suffered a shock exit from Mexico City Grand Prix qualifying, after he elected to abort his fastest lap in Q1. Both McLarens were in the drop zone during the dying moments of the session, with Oscar Piastri managing to improve his time to second quickest.
While Norris was on his final lap, Fernando Alonso spun and continued at Turn 4, causing a brief yellow flag in the area. This prompted Norris to abort his lap time, causing him to get knocked out of the session early after the gamble by the team for the first runs on Medium tyres backfired forcing the late switch to Softs that ultimately failed.
‘Lando Norris suffered a shock exit’;
https://racingnews365.com/norris-suf...gp-elimination
Lewis Hamilton and Max Verstappen face Mexico GP penalties as F1 stewards investigate
Lewis Hamilton, his Mercedes team-mate George Russell and Red Bull rival Max Verstappen were among several drivers under the F1 stewards' microscope for their actions during Mexico GP qualifying
28 October 2023, 22:45
By Daniel Moxon Senior F1 Writer
The Mirror
Lewis Hamilton and Max Verstappen are under investigation for potential rule-breaking in Mexican Grand Prix qualifying. And several other drivers are also under the microscope after a farcical start to the session. Q1 was marred by several incidents as traffic played a major role in the first part of qualifying on a relatively short track.
Logan Sargeant is another driver potentially facing a penalty after the session as the American is probed for both failing to slow under the yellow flags and is also accused of overtaking while they were flying.
Yuki Tsunoda is also involved in that probe as he was the one who was passed by the Williams driver. But Sargeant was the slowest qualifier anyway with only Tsunoda set to be behind him on the grid after accepting penalties for taking new engine components.
‘F1 stewards investigate’;
https://www.mirror.co.uk/sport/formu...appen-31306285
-
Leclerc and Sainz ambush Verstappen in Mexico quali.
Charles Leclerc will start tomorrow's Mexican Grand Prix from pole position, with Carlos Sainz completing a Ferrari front row lock-out in qualifying in Mexico City leaving Max Verstappen in P3.
28/10/2023 at 23:11
Andrew Lewin
F1i.com
The surprise of the session was AlphaTauri's Daniel Ricciardo clinching fourth on the grid ahead of Sergio Perez, with Lewis Hamilton only able to claim P6 from Oscar Piastri and George Russell. The Mexican fans cheered Perez setting the first lap of Q3 with a time of 1:17.788s, but it proved half a second slower once again compared to Verstappen. An impressive Ricciardo then flew to second before Ferrari sprang a surprise from out of nowhere by going P1 and P2 for Leclerc and Sainz respectively.
The Mercedes cars of Russell and Hamilton took provisional spots on the third row ahead of Perez and Piastri, with the Alfa pair at the bottom. The final order was confirmed by one final push: Leclerc, Sainz, Verstappen and Ricciardo could wring no more pace out of their cars, but Piastri dug deep for sixth. Hamilton found enough to move back ahead of the McLaren but Russell was left in eighth ahead of the two Alfas.
But crucially, no one had been able to catch the two Ferraris with Leclerc confirmed on pole and Sainz completing a 1-2 lock-out for the Scuderia. A spin for Fernando Alonso at the end of Q1 triggered yellow flags affecting several drivers, with Lando Norris a conspicuous casualty as the McLaren ended up P19 after failing to complete a fully representative time.
‘Leclerc and Sainz ambush Verstappen’;
https://f1i.com/news/491649-leclerc-...ico-quali.html
HEAD-TO-HEAD: How Leclerc edged ahead of Sainz to take pole for the 2023 Mexico City Grand Prix
29 Oct 2023
Formula One - Official Site (Video)
Watch to see how Ferrari's Charles Leclerc and team mate Carlos Sainz compared in qualifying at the 2023 Mexico City Grand Prix.
‘HEAD-TO-HEAD’;
https://www.formula1.com/en/latest/v...765201382.html
Ferrari drivers react to surprise front-row lockout after huge pace jump
28 Oct 2023 11:53 PM
Oliver Harden
PlanetF1.com
Carlos Sainz has admitted he is “struggling to understand” Ferrari’s performance leap after sealing a front-low lockout in qualifying for the Mexican Grand Prix. Despite setting pole position for last weekend’s United States GP, Ferrari were largely quiet throughout practice at the Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez.
Sainz was left bemused by Ferrari’s sudden improvement, admitting he has struggled for rhythm on the low-grip track all weekend until Q3. He said: “It was a very strange one. Honestly, the whole weekend I’ve struggled to put a lap together. The first lap that I put together was in Q3, the first run.”
“Suddenly I was P1 at the time, Charles beat me by half a tenth. But I just struggle to understand where suddenly we can find half a second and then go half a second slower on the next lap.
“It’s very tricky with the tyres, the feeling with the car is very strange around this circuit, but we managed to do a good lap when it counted and it puts us in a good position for tomorrow.”
‘Ferrari drivers react to surprise front-row lockout’;
https://www.planetf1.com/news/carlos...rari-pace-jump
Why Verstappen, Mercedes duo and Alonso avoided Mexico penalties
Oct 29, 2023
by Josh Suttill
The Race
Max Verstappen, Lewis Hamilton, George Russell and Fernando Alonso have all escaped punishment for the incidents that earned them summons to the stewards after Mexican Grand Prix qualifying.
Verstappen, Russell and Alonso were investigated for impeding in the pitlane, when all three cars were seen to have slowed to a crawling pace at the pit exit in Q1 with a large gaggle of cars behind them.
But the officials effectively expressed sympathy for the drivers' need to create gaps in the qualifying traffic and agreed that - while discouraged by the wording of the regulations - doing so in the pit exit was preferable to slowing on circuit.
‘Mexican penalties avoided’;
https://www.the-race.com/formula-1/v...rix-penalties/
Ricciardo adamant stunning Mexican qualifying ‘no fluke’
Sunday 29th October, 2023 - 10:44am
By Ian Parkes
Speedcafe
Daniel Ricciardo is adamant his stunning fourth place on the grid for the Mexico City GP in his AlphaTauri was “no fluke”. “From lap one yesterday I felt good, and really all weekend I felt we had a car to figure well inside the top 10,” said Ricciardo.
“This morning (in final practice), we were still there – P9 – but honestly, I was not happy with my lap this morning. I knew we could show more than that. You never know in quali because obviously everyone turns it up but I was confident in myself that I could definitely get some more tenths out of the car.”
“In Q1 and Q2, Yuki was great, gave me a tow just to obviously make sure we got into Q3, but then in Q3, I didn’t have a tow and we still showed really good pace. So I think that’s probably the coolest thing about today, that it wasn’t ‘Oh, okay, they did it, but he gained a couple of tenths from a tow’.”
‘No fluke’;
https://www.speedcafe.com/2023/10/29...ying-no-fluke/
Sergio Perez warned more Mexico GP embarrassment could come after Daniel Ricciardo blow.
In front of his adoring home crowd at the Mexican Grand Prix, Sergio Perez could only go fifth fastest in qualifying while Daniel Ricciardo outperformed him in the slower AlphaTauri sister car
29th October 2023, 01:59.
By Daniel Moxon Senior F1 Writer
The Mirror
Daniel Ricciardo thinks he can deliver "a big bag of points" in the Mexican Grand Prix and is adamant his qualifying result was no fluke. In a Saturday session full of surprises, the Aussie's result was a contender to be the biggest of them all. Out of nowhere, Ricciardo put his AlphaTauri car on the second row with a lap quick enough for fourth place.
It meant he got the better of Sergio Perez, who could only manage to go fifth fastest despite having the support of the crowd and the quicker Red Bull car. And that did not go unnoticed by F1 fans on social media. Speaking to reporters after the session, Ricciardo insisted the result was no fluke and could not hide his excitement over what might be possible in Sunday's race. "From lap one yesterday I felt good, and really all weekend I felt we had a car to figure well inside the top 10," he beamed.
“A big bag of points";
https://www.mirror.co.uk/sport/formu...perez-31306646
Self-critical Lando Norris returns after nightmare Mexican GP qualifying
28 Oct 2023 11:50 PM
Jamie Woodhouse
PlanetF1.com
Norris was asked by Sky F1 to explain how the events unfolded, having pitted to ditch the mediums for soft tyres. He said though that actually the “pace was good” and so why he was told to pit is a mystery, though he was not pointing the finger at his team, rather admitting that he should have done a better job.
“I got told to box for some reason,” he confirmed. “The pace was good. I don’t know, I got told to box so something obviously wasn’t right. But that wasn’t the problem, I just made some mistakes on my one lap that I had, obviously there was a yellow [flag] in the end from Fernando.”
“So yeah, that one opportunity, that one lap that I was given, I didn’t put together and I went off and that was it. We’ll speak about it after. I had one lap and I didn’t do it, so it’s on me.”
‘Nightmare’;
https://www.planetf1.com/news/lando-...mexico-q1-exit