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Esteban Ocon was pleased to see his A522 return to him undamaged after the BWT Alpine F1 Team gave Jack Doohan a run in the first practice session of the Mexico City Grand Prix on Friday.

Ocon had previously given up a free practice outing whilst racing for the Sahara Force India F1 Team back in 2017 only to see Alfonso Celis Jr. crash, but Doohan kept his nose clean and gave the Frenchman his car back intact for the second session.

The Frenchman utilised the 2022 Pirelli tyres to good use to place third fastest before he switched to testing the 2023 prototype tyres under the leadership of Formula 1’s sole tyre manufacturer, and he has confidence of a good weekend for Alpine at the Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez.

“It was good to test ourselves on this challenging track, which is quite low on grip but with long fast straights and challenging corners,” said Ocon.  “I didn’t run in the first session with Jack driving my car.

“I’ve been in his position before, so well done to him on doing his first session. For Free Practice 2, we completed a lot of laps where we were able to learn quite a lot.

Jack Doohan was thankful to the BWT Alpine F1 Team for giving him the chance to run in an official free practice session on Friday, even though his running was curtailed early by an engine issue at the Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez.

The Australian was called up to run for Alpine as part of their mandatory free practice runs for young drivers during the 2022 FIA Formula 1 World Championship season and ended nineteenth fastest after the engine problem restricted him to just thirteen laps.

Nevertheless, FIA Formula 2 frontrunner Doohan was delighted to be on track in a Formula 1 session for the first time, and he is looking forward to furthering his experience this weekend in Mexico City as he observes regular race drivers Esteban Ocon and Fernando Alonso from the pit garage.

“It was a fantastic experience to drive in Free Practice 1 today, so thanks to Alpine for giving me that opportunity,” said Doohan.  “I put in a lot of preparation for today including working with the engineers at Enstone and at the circuit as well as driving on the simulator.

“We had more running planned but, unfortunately, we had to stop early due to a small issue on the car. These things happen in motorsport, but to drive thirteen laps here on a Grand Prix weekend was an incredible experience and something I’ll remember forever.

Liam Lawson saw his second free practice session with Scuderia AlphaTauri end prematurely when he was forced to stop on track at the Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez with a potential hydraulic issue, but he was delighted with the work he was able to do before handing the car back to Yuki Tsunoda.

The New Zealander took the track in Mexico City on Friday, his second session of the year with AlphaTauri having done the same session in the Belgian Grand Prix weekend just after the summer break, and he ended his day sixteenth fastest, the best of the five junior drivers on track.

With a Pirelli tyre test happening in the second session, AlphaTauri only gave Lawson one tyre set to use during his hour on track.  And once he got used to the track, Lawson was able to put some good laps together until he pulled off the track with just minutes to go in the stadium section after his mechanical drama.

“It’s been great to be back on track with Scuderia AlphaTauri after my last shot out in Spa,” said Lawson.  “This time we played a bit more with set-up changes, as the more I drive the car the more accurate feedback I can give.

“Due to the Pirelli test in FP2 we saved a set of tyres for that, so I only ran on one set, which I believe most the juniors did today. It’s a really interesting circuit. I’d been on the sim a lot obviously, but when I first drove it was quite eye opening, there’s very low grip and it’s extremely slippery, especially through some of the high-speed areas.

Yuki Tsunoda knows his second place in second practice for the Mexico City Grand Prix is not representative of what is likely across the rest of the weekend, but he was confident behind the wheel of the AT-03 straight out of the blocks.

The Scuderia AlphaTauri driver sat out the first session at the Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez as the team used up their second young driver session with a run for New Zealander Liam Lawson, and as a result, he was one of only five drivers able to use the 2022 tyres.

He was pleased to get up to pace quickly before he switched his attention to running the 2023 prototype tyres as part of Pirelli’s tyre test, and he has high hopes of a strong performance in Qualifying on Saturday.

“I’m quite happy after FP2, of course it’s not that representative, but straight away I felt confident in the car and was able to put in some strong laps,” said Tsunoda.  “It was quite easy to adapt to the circuit, which I wasn’t expecting, so it’s been a positive FP2.

“I spent the start of the session just building up the pace and then I moved to the test tyres. As I missed FP1, I’ve got a lot of data to look through tonight and some more work to do in FP3, so that I can hopefully put it altogether for Quali tomorrow.”

Nyck de Vries made his final free practice session for the Mercedes-AMG Petronas Formula One Team on Friday at the Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez, and he felt he did a good job despite running a different programme to team-mate Lewis Hamilton.

De Vries took over the running in the W13 from George Russell for the first session in Mexico City and ended eighteenth fastest, although his best lap time was set on the hard compound tyre whilst Hamilton’s best that put him fifth was set on the soft compound.

The Dutchman will join the FIA Formula 1 World Championship grid with Scuderia AlphaTauri in 2023, and Mexico’s running marked the last time he would be driving for Mercedes before he moves to his new team.  It was also his fourth free practice outing of 2022 – for three different teams!

And de Vries was thankful to Mercedes for giving him the opportunities over the past three years, not only in Formula 1 but also in the ABB FIA Formula E World Championship.

“I enjoyed the session and driving the car, we did a good job in FP1,” said de Vries.  “We ran a bit of a different programme today, focused on developments for next year and I’m happy with my performance, feeling more and more comfortable in the F1 environment.

George Russell felt Friday at the Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez was amongst the best Friday’s of the 2022 FIA Formula 1 World Championship season, and it ended with him topping the time sheets.

The Mercedes-AMG Petronas Formula One Team racer sat out the opening session ahead of the Mexico City Grand Prix as the team gave Nyck de Vries his final opportunity to run before he moves to Scuderia AlphaTauri in 2023, but he made the most of the track time when he did get going.

Russell, one of only five drivers to be able to run 2022 tyres in the second session as the other fifteen prioritised the Pirelli tyre test, and he ended more than eight-tenths of a second clear of AlphaTauri’s Yuki Tsunoda.

Despite not knowing where they are compared to their rivals, Russell goes into the rest of the weekend with confidence and with one eye on a return to the podium places on Sunday afternoon.

“Today was one of our better Fridays, if not the best of the year so far – the car is working well and it felt good driving on this track,” said Russell.  “The pace was relatively strong, but we know the challenges at this circuit.

George Russell led the way in the second free practice session of the Mexico City Grand Prix on Friday, while Charles Leclerc crashed into the barriers at turn seven to cause a red flag.

As was the case last weekend in the United States, the second session of the weekend was dedicated to a Pirelli tyre test, and only the drivers who sat out the opening session – Russell, Esteban Ocon, Kevin Magnussen, Yuki Tsunoda and Alexander Albon – were able to run the 2022 tyres, and they were only able to do that in the first half of the session.

Russell, who sat out the first session to allow Mercedes-AMG Petronas Formula One Team reserve driver Nyck de Vries a chance behind the wheel of the W13, hit the top spot with a best time of 1:19.970 early on, and he was eight-tenths ahead of Scuderia AlphaTauri’s Tsunoda, with BWT Alpine F1 Team’s Ocon completing the top three.

The session was red flagged just after the half hour mark when Leclerc, running the 2023 prototype tyres as part of Pirelli’s tyre test, crashed into the barriers at turn seven, the Scuderia Ferrari driver appearing to lose control of the rear of his car before spinning all the way into the outside tyre wall.

Leclerc was able to get out of the car unscathed, but his session was over, and it cost everyone twenty minutes of track time whilst the F1-75 was recovered and the barriers repaired before the green flag was flown again.

Alex Bowman has not run a NASCAR Cup Series race since late September when he suffered a concussion in a crash at Texas. Five weeks later, he will be back in the #48 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet when he enters the season finale at Phoenix Raceway.

He was cleared to race again by Dr. Michael Collins, clinical director of the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center Sports Medicine Concussion Program, on Thursday. Collins has been overseeing his recovery.

“We’re thrilled Alex is 100% and will have the opportunity to race at his home track,” said team president Jeff Andrews. “Throughout this process, he’s been incredibly diligent about following the advice of his doctors and prioritizing his health. All of us look forward to welcoming Alex back and seeing him finish 2022 with his #48 team-mates.”

Bowman’s crash at Texas, which was relatively light, added to a flurry of scrutiny towards the Next Gen car that prompted NASCAR to consider safety modifications ahead of the 2023 season like removing the rear clip and adjusting the vehicle’s tubings. Concerns had arose as many drivers reported wrecks feeling much harder, with Kurt Busch having sat out the entire season since his Pocono accident in July.

Noah Gragson drove the #48 in Bowman’s place. He finished nineteenth at Talladega, followed by twenty-third at the Roval, eleventh at Las Vegas, and twenty-sixth at Homestead. Gragson, the current Xfinity Series points leader, is also racing at Martinsville on Sunday.

With Austin Hill having locked up NASCAR Xfinity Series Rookie of the Year honours as the only driver in his class to make the playoffs, it was only a matter of time before he begins dabbling in the Cup Series. On Friday, Beard Motorsports announced he will drive the #62 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 in six Cup races in 2023.

His schedule begins with the season-opening Daytona 500 on 19 February. He will continue Beard’s slate of running the superspeedways as he enters the two Talladega Superspeedway events on 23 April and 1 October, along with the other Daytona International Speedway race on 26 August. However, the team will also enter the inaugural Chicago Street Race on 2 July and Michigan International Speedway on 6 August.

Hill made his Cup début at Michigan in August in a new #33 car for Richard Childress Racing, where he finished eighteenth. The entry came on the heels of what has been a strong rookie season in the Xfinity Series with RCR as he won at Daytona and Atlanta. Entering the penultimate race, he is sixth in points and fighting to make the Championship Round.

Prior to entering the Xfinity Series full-time, he was an eight-time race winner in the Camping World Truck Series. He won the regular season championship in 2020.

“Austin has really seized the opportunities that he’s had in his young career,” said Beard executive vice president Mark Beard Jr. “He’s won in Trucks and here he is winning in his first year in the Xfinity Series. It’s all very impressive. He brings a lot of talent and just a really strong desire to compete, and that’s a great combination for us to have at Beard Motorsports.”

Assuming it is a full-time gig and he doesn’t change divisions, 2023 will bring Jeb Burton to his third NASCAR Xfinity Series team in as many years. On Friday, Burton announced he will depart Our Motorsports at the end of the 2022 season.

“Thank you to all my fans and partners for their continued support,” reads a statement he posted on social media. “Thank you also goes out to the entire Our Motorsports organization for their support this season. I appreciate the opportunity that Chris Our (team owner) gave me to drive the No. 27 for Our Motorsports. As this season ends, I’m looking forward to the road ahead. I have great partners and fans and look forward to making an announcement in the near future about our plans for next season.”

After being a journeyman for much of his national series career post-2014 (when he concluded two full seasons in the Camping World Truck Series), Burton seemed to find his footing when he joined Kaulig Racing for the entire 2021 Xfinity slate. He scored a win at Talladega and finished tenth in points before moving to a new #27 Our car for 2022.

Although Our Motorsports’ equipment is a step down from the championship contenders at Kaulig, Burton has been middling compared to his team-mates; he has yet to score a top ten while Anthony Alfredo has four and Brett Moffitt notched four of his own before being released midseason. He is currently seventeenth in points with a best finish of eleventh at Richmond with eighteen top-twenty finishes.

Our has not immediately announced a replacement.

Following the news of the Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez remaining on the Formula One calendar until 2025, the Mexcian Grand Prix kicked off on Friday evening with the first free practice session.

A clutch of drivers is featured in this practice session, including Scuderia AlphaTauri’s 2023 driver Nick De Vries standing in for George Russell.

Unsurprisingly the stands were full of Sergio Perez fans as they cheered on the hometown hero, who made the podium at his home race last year.

Despite Perez fans being incredibly dominant in the stands, it was Aston Martin Aramco Cognizant F1 Team, driver Sebastian Vettel who won the ‘race’ to make it first out on the track. As a mark of respect and a touching tribute, Vettel returned to one of his most iconic helmet designs as a tribute to Dietrich Mateschitz following the sad news last week of his passing.

The home favorite was the next to emerge onto the track, the Oracle Red Bull Racing team seemingly unphased at the penalty, of a $7 million fine and reduced aerodynamic development allowance, that they were served earlier today.

The Aston Martin Aramco Cognizant F1 Team have been fined $450,000 by the FIA as punishment for a procedural breach of the FIA Formula 1 World Championship budget cap in 2021.

The penalty was agreed under an ‘Accepted Breach Agreement’ with the FIA and announced on Friday ahead of the Mexico City Grand Prix.

Unlike Oracle Red Bull Racing, who had a procedural breach as well as a budgetary breach of the regulations, Aston Martin were only guilty of the first offence, and as such, took a much lesser penalty than their rivals.

The FIA revealed that Aston Martin had ‘inaccurately excluded and/or adjusted costs’ in its calculations, with errors surrounding costs for their new Silverstone factory, wind tunnel and Formula 1 simulator all being identified.

The £450,000 fine must be paid within thirty days, although the FIA were clear to point out that Aston Martin did not attempt to ‘act in bad faith, dishonesty of in a fraudulent manner’ during the whole cost cap process.

The Mexico City Grand Prix will remain on the FIA Formula 1 World Championship calendar at least until the end of the 2025 season after signing a new contract.

The previous contract was set to end at the end of the current season, but after the race was included on the 2023 schedule, rumours about an extended contract began surfacing, and ahead of this weekend’s race at the Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez, it will now have an additional three years extension.

The event is an extremely popular one on the Formula 1 calendar, particularly with the popularity of Sergio Pérez, the Mexican who goes into this years’ race with perhaps his best chance yet of securing a home victory.  Pérez took a podium finish last year – the first Mexican to do so at home – and also led some laps – again a first for a Mexican.

“I am very pleased to announce that Formula 1 will continue to race in Mexico City for another three years under this new agreement,” said Stefano Domenicali, the President and CEO of Formula 1.  

“Every year the race attracts a large number of passionate fans, and the atmosphere is incredible, and I know everyone will be excited by this news.

For the second consecutive race weekend, Logan Sargeant will get the opportunity to run in the opening free practice session, the American this time replacing Alexander Albon at Williams Racing.

Sargeant made his FIA Formula 1 World Championship free practice debut last weekend for the team at the Circuit of the Americas replacing Nicholas Latifi, and he has been given another chance to shine by Williams at the Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez.

The twenty-one-year-old will race for Williams in 2023 should he acquire the necessary Superlicence in the FIA Formula 2 finale next month, but he is eager to impress his potential employers this weekend in Mexico City.

And he is looking to build on what he learned last weekend and work to help his prospective new team-mate Albon have a strong weekend.

I’m excited to be getting back in the car for FP1 in Mexico and building on the progress I made in Austin,” said Sargeant.  “My first session gave me a chance to reference the driveability of the car, the way it handles and how it feels on the brakes.

Pietro Fittipaldi will participate in his first official FIA Formula 1 World Championship free practice session since the 2020 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix when he takes to the Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez for the Haas F1 Team on Friday.

The Brazilian raced twice for Haas in 2020 as a replacement for the injured Romain Grosjean, and although he has tested with the team since, he has not been on track on an official race weekend since his outings in the Sakhir and Abu Dhabi races.

This will change for Fittipaldi this weekend as he joins the fray on Friday in Mexico City, with the former World Series Formula V8 3.5 champion using up one of the two necessary young driver sessions for Haas in 2022.

“It’s a great opportunity,” said Fittipaldi.  “It’s definitely different to run in testing to running during an official race weekend in practice and I want to do a great job for the team.

“It’s going to be the first time for me in a Formula 1 car in Mexico so that will be pretty exciting. I want to do a good run for the team, go through all the run plan and do a solid job.