Max Verstappen set the sixth fastest time in the second free practice session for the Mexico City GP. George Russell was the fastest.

Practice was dedicated to a tire test for Pirelli and was therefore not of great importance for this race weekend. A violent fall by Charles Leclerc, who landed in the wall, was conspicuous.

Earlier on Friday, Ferrari drivers Carlos Sainz and Leclerc were quicker than Verstappen and Sergio Pérez, who is driving his home race in Mexico, in practice one.

The free practice sessions are particularly important in Mexico. The track is over 2,000 meters above sea level and that has consequences for the cars. The engines struggle with the lack of oxygen.

The drivers may not have been entirely satisfied with the tire test for Pirelli in the second practice session. Almost all of the work had to be done in the first training session.

Nyck de Vries (next AlphaTauri driver) also did his laps on the Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez race track. He did that in Russell’s Mercedes. De Vries was given the task of trying everything and therefore only pitched for the eighteenth time.

Verstappen did not come close to the times of the Ferraris in the first practice session. His best lap came to an early end when he suddenly went off the track. The world champion had no footing and spun out of the corner. There was no visible damage.

Other drivers were damaged. ‘Scar Beginner Liam Lawson caught fire after a breakdown: Due to the heat in Mexico City, the cars hardly cool down and a small defect can start a fire.

This fire in Lawson’s AlphaTauri raised a red flag. As it was hoisted a few minutes before the end of the session, Verstappen didn’t have a chance to attempt the fastest lap.

So in the second practice, new tires were put under the cars to develop them for next season. Verstappen did his laps on these new Pirellis and quickly dove into the pit lane when that mandatory number was written on them.

After a good half hour drive, Leclerc crashed into the wall. The Monegasque also lost control of his car on the slippery Mexican asphalt.

In the end he backed up and hit the wall hard. His car appeared to be quite damaged. Leclerc himself was fine.

After the following red flag was raised, Russell’s time was no longer streamlined. In the end, not much has become clear after the first day of the Mexico City Grand Prix, except that Ferrari will have to work hard to patch Leclerc’s car.