In a dramatic turn of events at the Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez, McLaren's rising star Oscar Piastri delivered a stunning performance that sent shockwaves through the Formula 1 paddock, outperforming both championship leader Max Verstappen and teammate Lando Norris during Friday's crucial practice sessions.
Practice One Dominance
The Australian driver set the pace in the opening session with an impressive lap time of 1m 19.512s, leaving Red Bull's triple world champion Verstappen trailing by nearly four-tenths of a second. This commanding performance immediately established McLaren as genuine contenders for the weekend ahead.
Team Dynamics and Technical Challenges
While Piastri flourished, teammate Lando Norris faced a more challenging day, finishing seventh in the second practice session after encountering significant brake temperature issues. The British driver expressed frustration with his MCL60's performance, particularly highlighting problems with overheating that compromised his ability to push for competitive lap times.
Norris commented: "The brakes were on fire, literally. Every time I hit the brake pedal, the temperatures went through the roof. It's something we need to solve overnight if we want to fight at the front."
Verstappen's Uncharacteristic Struggle
Perhaps most surprising was Max Verstappen's difficulty adapting to the high-altitude conditions of Mexico City. The Dutchman, who has dominated much of the 2024 season, finished a distant sixth in the second practice session, raising eyebrows throughout the paddock.
Verstappen acknowledged the challenges: "The car balance isn't quite where we want it. The thin air at this altitude affects everything - downforce, engine performance, cooling. We have work to do overnight."
What This Means for Qualifying
Piastri's standout performance suggests McLaren could pose a genuine threat to Red Bull's dominance during Saturday's qualifying session. However, the Melbourne-born driver remained cautiously optimistic:
"It's only practice, and Friday times can be misleading with different engine modes and fuel loads. But the car felt good, and we've shown we have the pace to be competitive. The real test comes tomorrow when everyone turns up their engines."
The Battle Ahead
With Ferrari's Charles Leclerc also showing strong pace and Mercedes looking to close the gap, the stage is set for a thrilling qualifying battle. The unique high-altitude conditions of the Mexico City circuit continue to test teams and drivers alike, creating opportunities for unexpected results and shaking up the established order.
As teams analyse their data overnight and make crucial setup changes, all eyes will be on whether Piastri can convert his practice promise into a genuine qualifying challenge against the established front-runners.
