In the final practice session of the 2024 FIA Formula 1 Mexico City Grand Prix, Oscar Piastri led a McLaren 1-2 finish, posting the fastest lap ahead of teammate Lando Norris by just under six hundredths of a second. Carlos Sainz of Ferrari secured third place, trailing the McLaren duo by over three tenths of a second.
The session began in cooler conditions than Friday, with Max Verstappen of Red Bull setting the early pace on Soft tyres, recording a lap of 1:18.397. After missing significant time in FP2 due to a power unit issue, Verstappen completed a 16-lap run on Softs but remained in the midfield for much of the early session.
George Russell of Mercedes briefly took the lead with a lap of 1:18.284, but Ferrari quickly brought times into the competitive range seen at the end of day one. Carlos Sainz clocked a 1:17.825 to go fastest, with his teammate Charles Leclerc close behind on 1:17.889. Lewis Hamilton of Mercedes moved into third with a 1:18.123 before being eclipsed by Norris, whose 1:17.902 took him to second.
Meanwhile, local favorite Sergio Pérez was the last driver to head out onto the track, initially jumping from P20 to P7. However, his stay in the top 10 was brief as faster times soon came in. As the session progressed, Leclerc reclaimed top spot with a 1:17.616, only to be quickly overtaken by Sainz, who posted a 1:17.447.
With less than 20 minutes remaining, both Red Bull drivers re-emerged on fresh Soft tyres. Verstappen surged to the top with a 1:17.003, while Pérez improved to fifth. But the McLaren duo had more in reserve. Norris set a time of 1:16.551, only for Piastri to go even quicker with a 1:16.492, leaving Verstappen half a second adrift.
In the final minutes, Sainz secured third with a 1:16.832, while Verstappen had to settle for fourth. Hamilton finished fifth, followed by Leclerc in sixth. Red Bull’s Yuki Tsunoda impressed once again, taking seventh place on Medium tyres, just ahead of George Russell in eighth. Kevin Magnussen placed ninth for Haas, and Liam Lawson completed the top 10 for Red Bull.
The session provided a glimpse of the competitive field ahead of qualifying, with McLaren showing strong pace and Ferrari and Red Bull close behind.
2024 FIA Formula 1 Mexico City Grand Prix – Free Practice 3 Results:
Oscar Piastri (McLaren) – 1:16.492
Lando Norris (McLaren) – 1:16.551
Carlos Sainz (Ferrari) – 1:16.832
Max Verstappen (Red Bull) – 1:17.003
Lewis Hamilton (Mercedes) – 1:17.060
Charles Leclerc (Ferrari) – 1:17.232
Yuki Tsunoda (Red Bull) – 1:17.302
George Russell (Mercedes) – 1:17.341
Kevin Magnussen (Haas) – 1:17.474
Liam Lawson (Red Bull) – 1:17.494
Alexander Albon (Williams) – 1:17.511
Valtteri Bottas (Sauber) – 1:17.639
Franco Colapinto (Williams) – 1:17.712
Sergio Pérez (Red Bull) – 1:17.787
Fernando Alonso (Aston Martin) – 1:17.798
Nico Hülkenberg (Haas) – 1:17.819
Lance Stroll (Aston Martin) – 1:17.900
Esteban Ocon (Alpine) – 1:18.324
Zhou Guanyu (Sauber) – 1:18.428
Pierre Gasly (Alpine) – 1:18.454
Source: FIA
This article was crafted with assistance from Chatgpt
