Difficult start to Max' Mexico weekend

Published on 28 October 2016 by Stefan Meens

Max Verstappen opened his Mexican Grand Prix weekend with a fourteenth place in the first free practice session. Lewis Hamilton (Mercedes) was quickest at the Autodromo Hermanos Rodríguez. The Ferraris of Sebastian Vettel and Kimi Raikkonen completed the top three. Max’ Red Bull Racing team mate Daniel Ricciardo clocked the eighth quickest time.

It is a quiet start to the first Friday session. After the customary installation laps, the track goes quiet for fifteen minutes before Esteban Ocon breaks the silence in the Manor.

Half an hour into the session we see the first red flag. Felipe Nasr hits a kerbstone from the wrong angle, damaging his front wing in the process. Eventually the carbon piece disintegrates as the Sauber runs over it.

Once the track is cleared Max heads out for a run. His outing is short-lived as he returns with smoking rear brakes at the team. The high altitude conditions are taking their toll. After cooling the brakes, the teenager is send back out. Not long after, Max hops out of the car back in the pits. The team needs more time to analyse the cooling issues. It means FP1 comes to a premature end for the Dutchman, who ends up in P14.

Mexican Grand Prix - Autodromo Hermanos Rodríguez - Friday 28 October

FREE PRACTICE 1 RESULTS

01 44 Lewis Hamilton      Mercedes                    1:20.914          34
02  5 Sebastian Vettel    Ferrari                     1:20.993 +0.079s  23
03  7 Kimi Räikkönen      Ferrari                     1:21.072 +0.158s  19
04 11 Sergio Perez        Force India Mercedes        1:21.200 +0.286s  23
05 27 Nico Hulkenberg     Force India Mercedes        1:21.409 +0.495s  23
06 77 Valtteri Bottas     Williams Mercedes           1:21.447 +0.533s  34
07  6 Nico Rosberg        Mercedes                    1:21.673 +0.759s  32
08  3 Daniel Ricciardo    Red Bull Racing TAG Heuer   1:21.727 +0.813s  27
09 19 Felipe Massa        Williams Mercedes           1:21.836 +0.922s  31
10 26 Daniil Kvyat        Toro Rosso Ferrari          1:22.215 +1.301s  29
11  8 Romain Grosjean     Haas Ferrari                1:22.500 +1.586s  21
12 55 Carlos Sainz        Toro Rosso Ferrari          1:22.563 +1.649s  32
13  9 Marcus Ericsson     Sauber Ferrari              1:22.723 +1.809s  17
14 33 Max Verstappen      Red Bull Racing TAG Heuer   1:22.877 +1.963s  10
15 21 Esteban Gutierrez   Haas Ferrari                1:22.910 +1.996s  23
16 14 Fernando Alonso     McLaren Honda               1:23.089 +2.175s  25
17 12 Felipe Nasr         Sauber Ferrari              1:23.089 +2.175s  12
18 22 Jenson Button       McLaren Honda               1:23.342 +2.428s  24
19 20 Kevin Magnussen     Renault                     1:23.556 +2.642s  32
20 31 Esteban Ocon        MRT Mercedes                1:24.083 +3.169s  30
21 30 Jolyon Palmer       Renault                     1:24.097 +3.183s  35
22 94 Pascal Wehrlein     MRT Mercedes                1:24.350 +3.436s  28 

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