2022 F1 Mexican GP FP1: What did we learn?

The first practice session of the 2022 F1 Mexican GP is now in the rearview mirror and what we have in front of us is Ferrari topping the timesheets again.

Red Bull cars have usually kicked off the weekend well this season. This time around, however, it was Carlos Sainz at the top of the standings with Charles Leclerc right behind him in P2. Then we have the two Red Bulls in Sergio Perez and Max Verstappen followed by Lewis Hamilton in his Mercedes.

The season also featured drivers like Logan Sargeant and Jack Doohan getting a taste of the F1 machinery as they drove for Alpine and Williams. So, what did we learn after the first hour of running in the 2022 F1 Mexican GP? Let's find out!

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2022 F1 Mexican GP FP1: Key Learnings

#1 Red Bull vs Mercedes vs Ferrari at the 2022 F1 Mexican GP

As expected, it's close between Red Bull, Mercedes, and Ferrari this weekend, with the top 5 being separated by less than two-tenths of a second. While it is not surprising to see Ferrari and Red Bull up there, it is interesting to see Mercedes this close on a low-fuel run as well.

Most drivers, however, were unable to have a clean run. Max Verstappen severely damaged his tires with a spin. Charles Leclerc's best time was part of a somewhat higher fuel run while Lewis Hamilton's first lap was compromised by the Red Flag. It's tough to choose who holds the edge but one thing is quite clear: the battle will be intense this weekend.

#2 The midfield group is very close

There is a lack of clarity over who finds themselves where in the midfield. Fernando Alonso's time was very impressive. So was the time from Valtteri Bottas with Lando Norris not a million miles away either.

While teams did run different fuel loads, it is evident that there will be a very close battle in Q1 and Q2 for these cars to escape elimination.

#3 Reliability is going to be a concern

The number of red flags during the F1 Mexican GP FP1 is a red herring of what is to come for the rest of the weekend. The high altitude is playing tricks on this new generation of cars. The PU already seems susceptible, as seen when Haas' Pietro Fittipaldi stopped on track with a turbo issue.

We then saw a stoppage from an AlphaTauri near the end of the session as its brakes caught fire. Alpine rookie Jack Doohan also could not complete a low-fuel soft tire run rather surreptitiously as his PU had a few niggling issues.

The high altitude is a challenge. It's an even bigger challenge for a car that might be forced to run in traffic during the F1 Mexican GP. We could see a few DNFs and retirements during the race as teams work hard to adapt to the high altitude conditions.

#4 The rookie drivers are not getting a fair shot in FP1

What might be starting to become a pet peeve for onlookers is how rookie drivers are not getting a fair shot in their outings. During the race in Austin, something similar was seen as Alex Palou, who tested for McLaren in FP1, revealed that he did not do a soft tire run because the team was trying to save a fresh set for Daniel Ricciardo.

This is not an unwise move for a team that is trying to maximize the possibility of scoring for its race driver. It is, however, unwise for the FIA to assume that the teams will simply give the rookies the least preferred tire compound to complete a few laps around the circuit.

For a driver like Jack Doohan, the 2022 F1 Mexican GP FP1 is an opportunity worth relishing, so he won't mind that he did not get to push for a single fast lap. Neither would Alex Palou or others that have attended the FP1 sessions. F1, however, must see these talents getting a fair shot, and to make it happen, a separate allocation of tires could work perfectly.

#5 Hard tires are a complete waste

The smooth surface for the 2022 F1 Mexican GP has once again shown that the tire allocation by Pirelli is perhaps too varied. The jump from the hard tire to the soft in the F1 Mexican GP FP1 was sometimes as big as three seconds.

This brings back memories of the race in Hungary where the hard tires were so bad that they cost Charles Leclerc a great result in the race. It is safe to say that Pirelli went too conservative with the tire choice and that the hard tire would not make much of an appearance during the 2022 F1 Mexican GP.