P1racenews AI automatic summary:
It was a wretched practice session for Max Verstappen and George Russell for very different reasons.
Max Verstappen and George Russell encountered challenging circumstances during the second practice session for the Mexico City Grand Prix, with Verstappen facing power unit issues that limited his track time, while Russell suffered a significant crash in his Mercedes. Verstappen’s troubles with the power unit surfaced in FP1, leading to concerns about engine performance during FP2. Russell’s crash, his second within a week, occurred at Turn 8, resulting in a red flag and a lengthy delay in the session. Despite being safely released from the medical center after the crash, Russell’s accident led to damage on the circuit and a disrupted session for all drivers. Further evaluation of Pirelli’s 2025 rubber was a focal point of the extended FP2, with specific testing protocols in place for all teams and drivers, including a mix of runs and tire assessments. Carrying out the performance test, Carlos Sainz set the quickest lap time, followed closely by other drivers like Oscar Piastri and Yuki Tsunoda, showcasing competitive lap times in preparation for the upcoming sessions and race weekend.
