The Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez came alive for the second free practice session of the 2022 Mexican Grand Prix, an extended 90-minute slot primarily dedicated to extensive tyre testing for the upcoming 2023 Formula 1 season. While Mercedes’ George Russell ultimately topped the timing sheets, the session was marred by a significant crash for Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc and was largely unrepresentative of genuine pace due to Pirelli’s experimental tyre compounds.
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As the session unfolded, the focus quickly shifted from outright speed to data gathering. Despite more cloud cover than the preceding first practice hour, track conditions remained remarkably consistent, with ambient temperatures hovering around 25 degrees Celsius – ideal for Pirelli’s ambitious testing programme. For many drivers, this session marked their return to the cockpit after handing over their cars to test drivers in FP1. George Russell, Esteban Ocon, Yuki Tsunoda, Kevin Magnussen, and Alexander Albon were among those reclaiming their seats, ready to tackle the unique challenges presented by the prototype tyres.
Following a similar format to the previous round at the Circuit of the Americas, this second practice session was extended by 30 minutes, giving teams and Pirelli ample time to evaluate the softest prototype compounds designed for the 2023 campaign. A crucial distinction for this session was the tyre allocation rule: only the five drivers who sat out the opening practice were permitted to use their standard dry tyre allocation for the weekend. This allowed George Russell to set an early, quick benchmark of 1’19.970 on the soft compound tyres – a time faster than Carlos Sainz Jnr’s best from FP1. Tsunoda and Ocon followed suit, also utilizing the conventional softs to place second and third respectively, highlighting the immediate advantage of the known compounds.
The session wasn’t without its early dramas, particularly for Haas. After Pietro Fittipaldi was forced to stop Kevin Magnussen’s car with a suspected turbo problem during FP1, Magnussen’s mechanics worked diligently to get his VF-22 ready for FP2. This effort meant he was significantly delayed in joining the track, eventually heading out with almost half an hour of the extended session already elapsed. Crucially, due to the late start, Magnussen was limited exclusively to the prototype tyres, denying him any opportunity to run his weekend’s allocated compounds and gather crucial data under race-representative conditions.
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As drivers meticulously followed the testing programmes assigned by Pirelli, many reported difficulties finding grip, particularly at the rear of their cars. This challenge was evident in several minor incidents across the circuit. Carlos Sainz and reigning world champion Max Verstappen both experienced small errors, running wide or having moments of instability. Yuki Tsunoda, despite his earlier strong showing on conventional tyres, also had a noticeable oversteer moment when entering the iconic stadium section, which saw him miss turn 14 entirely. These incidents underscored the unpredictable nature and reduced grip levels of the experimental rubber.
However, the most dramatic incident of the session, and one with significant implications for Ferrari, was Charles Leclerc’s heavy crash. Exiting turn seven, Leclerc lost control of the rear of his F1-75, sending him spinning violently backwards into the unforgiving barriers. The impact caused substantial damage to the rear of his car, bringing the session to an immediate halt under red flag conditions. Fortunately, Leclerc was able to safely extract himself from the heavily damaged Ferrari, seemingly unharmed. The clean-up and barrier repairs led to a considerable 20-minute delay before practice could resume, further disrupting the teams’ testing schedules.
When the session eventually restarted, a crucial time threshold had passed. The 45-minute cut-off point for drivers who had missed FP1 and were thus permitted to use their weekend tyre allocation had elapsed. This meant that for the remainder of the session, all drivers, including Russell, Tsunoda, and Ocon, were mandated to run on the prototype Pirelli compounds. Furthermore, the Drag Reduction System (DRS) was disabled for the remainder of the running. These combined restrictions effectively put an end to any further improvements in lap times, solidifying the early benchmarks set by a handful of drivers as the session’s definitive fastest laps.
The closing stages of the session brought another disruption. With just three minutes remaining, Zhou Guanyu was instructed to pull his Alfa Romeo off the circuit after suffering a loss of hydraulic pressure. Zhou safely stopped his car in the stadium section, but the incident necessitated a second red flag, signalling the definitive end of the session. This brought an early close to what had been a tumultuous yet data-rich practice session for Pirelli and the teams.
The official results therefore showed George Russell at the top of the timesheets, his early quick lap on the soft compound proving unbeatable. Yuki Tsunoda and Esteban Ocon occupied second and third places respectively, also having set their best times on the conventional soft tyres. Lewis Hamilton was the fastest of the drivers who had been exclusively limited to the prototype tyres, placing fourth, underscoring the challenge of extracting pace from the experimental rubber. He was followed by the two Red Bulls of home hero Sergio Perez and Max Verstappen, with the Ferraris of the crashed Leclerc and Carlos Sainz behind them. The session provided more questions than answers regarding outright performance, but delivered invaluable data for Pirelli’s 2023 tyre development.
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2022 Mexican Grand Prix Second Practice Results
Here’s a detailed breakdown of the lap times and performances from a highly unusual but informative second practice session at the Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez:
| Position | Number | Driver | Team | Model | Time | Gap | Laps |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 63 | George Russell | Mercedes | W13 | 1’19.970 | 32 | |
| 2 | 22 | Yuki Tsunoda | AlphaTauri-Red Bull | AT03 | 1’20.798 | 0.828 | 30 |
| 3 | 31 | Esteban Ocon | Alpine-Renault | A522 | 1’21.177 | 1.207 | 31 |
| 4 | 44 | Lewis Hamilton | Mercedes | W13 | 1’21.509 | 1.539 | 32 |
| 5 | 11 | Sergio Perez | Red Bull | RB18 | 1’21.579 | 1.609 | 34 |
| 6 | 1 | Max Verstappen | Red Bull | RB18 | 1’21.588 | 1.618 | 34 |
| 7 | 16 | Charles Leclerc | Ferrari | F1-75 | 1’21.618 | 1.648 | 13 |
| 8 | 55 | Carlos Sainz Jnr | Ferrari | F1-75 | 1’21.693 | 1.723 | 34 |
| 9 | 77 | Valtteri Bottas | Alfa Romeo-Ferrari | C42 | 1’21.993 | 2.023 | 36 |
| 10 | 10 | Pierre Gasly | AlphaTauri-Red Bull | AT03 | 1’22.104 | 2.134 | 36 |
| 11 | 14 | Fernando Alonso | Alpine-Renault | A522 | 1’22.337 | 2.367 | 31 |
| 12 | 5 | Sebastian Vettel | Aston Martin-Mercedes | AMR22 | 1’22.371 | 2.401 | 32 |
| 13 | 23 | Alexander Albon | Williams-Mercedes | FW44 | 1’22.447 | 2.477 | 24 |
| 14 | 4 | Lando Norris | McLaren-Mercedes | MCL36 | 1’22.738 | 2.768 | 31 |
| 15 | 3 | Daniel Ricciardo | McLaren-Mercedes | MCL36 | 1’22.763 | 2.793 | 27 |
| 16 | 18 | Lance Stroll | Aston Martin-Mercedes | AMR22 | 1’22.840 | 2.870 | 23 |
| 17 | 47 | Mick Schumacher | Haas-Ferrari | VF-22 | 1’22.879 | 2.909 | 31 |
| 18 | 20 | Kevin Magnussen | Haas-Ferrari | VF-22 | 1’23.316 | 3.346 | 21 |
| 19 | 6 | Nicholas Latifi | Williams-Mercedes | FW44 | 1’23.320 | 3.350 | 34 |
| 20 | 24 | Zhou Guanyu | Alfa Romeo-Ferrari | C42 | 1’23.369 | 3.399 | 34 |
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Further Insights from the 2022 Mexican Grand Prix
Delve deeper into the weekend’s events and ongoing analysis related to the 2022 Mexican Grand Prix and the broader Formula 1 season. From driver reflections to technical insights, the links below provide additional context and expert commentary on a critical juncture of the championship:
- How many victory chances did Hamilton have in his first winless F1 season?
- Delay in producing new parts held up Alfa Romeo upgrade
- Doohan’s practice run earns praise, but Alpine undecided over reserve role
- ‘I was in the fight, which hasn’t been often this year’: Ricciardo’s Mexican GP transcript
- Verstappen “will continue to break records for the rest of his career” – rivals
Browse all 2022 Mexican Grand Prix articles