George Russell Sets the Pace in Mexico City Grand Prix Practice

George Russell topped the first practice session at the Mexico City Grand Prix, setting a time of 1:17.998 on the soft tyre compound. The session was marked by a collision between Alex Albon and Oliver Bearman, and Max Verstappen suffered from a lack of power from his Honda engine. Russell finished 0.317 seconds ahead of Ferrari's Carlos Sainz, who rounded out the top two spots in the session. The session was also marred by a heavy crash for Williams' Alex Albon, who tangled with Ferrari young driver Oliver Bearman. Albon called Bearman an "idiot" over the team radio, while the Ferrari engineers blamed themselves for not warning Albon early enough of Bearman's presence. Despite these incidents, Russell's pace set the tone for the rest of the weekend, with Verstappen ultimately finishing fourth due to his engine woes.