Mexico FP1 telemetry: Ferrari performs well in slow sectors, Red Bull and McLaren struggle
Yesterday at 06:51 PM
Mercedes tries to leverage the smooth track surace
Mercedes, coming off a challenging weekend in Austin, arrived in Mexico with deliberately low expectations. Reality, however, seems somewhat more rewarding than anticipated. The incidents involving both George Russell and Lewis Hamilton in Texas highlighted a significant issue with the car’s aerodynamic instability, triggered by the track's abundant bumps. The Mexico City track, though not remarkable for its layout, has a particularly smooth and bump-free surface, allowing engineers to lower the car closer to the ground and stiffen the suspension setup. This means that the major issue faced by George Russell and Lewis Hamilton in Mexico City should not only be mitigated but the W15 might be used to its full potential, though recent performances suggest some issues remain. One key challenge is the car’s narrow operating window, a significant variable on a track with over 2000 meters of altitude where conditions can change rapidly. Mercedes had a solid start to the weekend, with Kimi Antonelli contributing meaningful work for both himself and the team, but uncertainties about overall performance remain numerous.
Data: Mercedes still light on downforce, Ferrari slow in the snake
Analyzing the telemetry data from this first session, several aspects of the setup approach emerge. Mercedes seems to be taking a low-downforce approach on the Mexican circuit, favoring high speeds on the straights and focusing on optimizing tire performance in this configuration, though it does not yet offer engineers sufficient certainty. Ferrari, meanwhile, with Carlos Sainz, did not achieve particularly high top speeds, partly due to a notably conservative engine mode, but showed good performance in the slower sectors, particularly in braking and traction phases. The SF-24, however, lagged in the middle sector, the "snake" from turns 7 to 11, where Carlos Sainz was 10 km/h slower than Oscar Piastri at turn 7 and struggled with lateral load, perhaps due to soft tire deformation impacting the car's performance. The Spaniard posted his best time in the third sector, the slowest, suggesting some progress in mechanical setup.
Red Bull still quick in the snake, McLaren underwhelming but attention to new floor
Trailing Mercedes and Ferrari, Red Bull and McLaren struggled more, at least in this initial session. The Milton Keynes team showed strong performance again in the direction changes of the central sector, reaffirming their preference for this type of curve, as seen in many previous races, including Austin. McLaren, meanwhile, appeared somewhat in a "no man's land," not particularly excelling in any aspect. However, it is worth noting that the Woking team will bring a new floor, the primary aerodynamic component, to the track, so the actual performance is yet to be seen. And not only for McLaren, as the Mexican weekend has just begun, and what we've seen so far is merely a preliminary glimpse. We will see in the coming sessions how the teams’ performance and setups evolve.
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