Verstappen cuts corner to take provisional top in FP1

F1 Grand Prix, GP Mexico, Autódromo Hermanos Rodriguez

Max Verstappen topped the time sheets of the first free practice session since 1992 on the Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez circuit. The circuit provided a pletora of issues for the drivers.

However, he did so by involuntary cutting a corner when the back of his Toro Rosso broke out under braking. Race direction however did not scrap the lap time at this moment of writing. Kvyat in the meanwhile secured 2d place and probably will earn the top position.

The circuit provided a big load of challenges for the drivers. The track was damp all the way through the session and drivers were initially forced to use the intermediates to drive out a dry line. To make matters worse, the top layer of the asphalt is barely a few weeks old, with the oil pouring out of the asphalt and mixing with the rain pebbles. On top of that, the high altitude of the circuit, 2000 meters above sea level and the highest circuit on the calendar, means a low air density. One consequence of this is that downforce levels are lower even though teams try to counter this by running maximum downforce packages.

All of this created a very slippery track, and the mistakes, spins, drifts, etc. all piled up across the grid. Nobody crashed, but the drivers complained constantly due having no grip at all. Even when a dry line was cut out and most drivers switched to slick tyres, it still was tip-toeing around.

Another issue that the low air density provided was cooling. Most teams brought high cooling packages. Red Bull opened up the back of its cars quite extremely, while Mercedes installed roll hoop ears and an outlet on the back of the coke bottle.

These solutions provided enough cooling for the power units, but the biggest issues are at the brake ducts. Teams run maximum size brake ducts, but even that did not stop Rosberg's brake ducts catch fire when he ran slightly too long behind traffic. He had to sit out half an hour for repairs.

Top speeds are very high, arguably surpassing even Monza. It's a very strange sight due teams running their maximum downforce packages. The reason is again the low air density, which reduces drag next to the downforce. Combined with one of the longest straights on the calendar and we got around 360 kph top speeds.

The times quickly evolved with cars from Williams, Red Bull, Toro Rosso and Red Bull constantly switching times. In the end Toro Rosso and Red Bull seemingly got a better handle on the grip levels, while Mercedes slipped back. However, due the conditions and position on the learning curve all the teams have to endure for this track, it's difficult to make any conclusions.