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The third Free Practice session of the 2022 F1 Mexican GP threw more questions than answers. Surprisingly, it was a front-row lockout for Mercedes, with George Russell heading Lewis Hamilton. We had the Red Bulls of Max Verstappen and Sergio Perez behind them, followed by the Ferraris.
Unlike the Friday practice sessions, where Ferraris led the way, the Saturday practice sessions have thrown up quite a few exciting possibilities ahead of the F1 Mexican GP qualifying. Having said that, what are the key learning of the session? Let's find out!
2022 F1 Mexican GP FP3: Key Learnings!
#1 Mercedes is a dark horse in the F1 Mexican GP
Looking at the timesheets and finding a Mercedes 1-2 should be exciting for the Lewis/Mercedes fans, but it's probably better to still wait for qualifying. Both Russell and Hamilton found themselves clear of even the fastest Red Bulls and Ferraris. To add to it, the car looks planted on the track while both Red Bull and Ferrari appeared to struggle in the slow-speed sections.
From the first look, it is safe to say that Mercedes could have unlocked how to bring the tires in ideally on the very first lap, but it is also interesting that the two drivers were quicker in the first sector.
The speed in the first sector could be attributed to a higher engine mode/lower fuel than Red Bull and Ferrari, as both teams have tended to hold an advantage in the top speed. It will be interesting to see how the rest of the 2022 F1 Mexican GP pans out, but Mercedes has surely put itself in contention for the win this weekend.
#2 Cars are finding it hard to hit the sweet spot
What appears to be the case throughout the grid is the inability of the cars to bring the tires in the right window. Red Bull struggled with it in the stadium section, and so did Ferrari and many other teams. Daniel Ricciardo was one of the drivers that tried two out laps and then the push lap. Until the mistake he made in the final sector, the Australian was going faster than Lando Norris, his teammate.
Pirelli has gone a bit conservative for the F1 Mexican GP, and it would be interesting to see how the teams tackle the new challenge.
#3 McLaren appears to be the best of the midfield teams
McLaren might be in a prime position to make the most of its ability to light up the tires quicker than its compatriots. The one-lap pace from Lando Norris was impressive. What was more impressive to watch was Daniel Ricciardo matching and almost beating Norris' lap time(until his S3 mistake).
There is still a 9-point deficit looming over McLaren when it comes to its battle with Alpine. The F1 Mexican GP weekend could be where the team maximizes the points haul and bounces back.
#4 Aston Martin and Alpine struggling with balance
Both Aston Martin and Alpine appear to be struggling, much like Red Bull and Ferrari. The cars are not able to bring the tires up to working temperature, because of which either the cars are all over the place during the lap or the lap itself is significantly slower than what the teams would have expected.
The fact that the Alpines of Fernando Alonso and Esteban Ocon were nowhere close to Lando Norris' time is an indication of where the two drivers are struggling. To add to this, watching the Aston Martin of Sebastian Vettel lock up the tires at every possible juncture was somewhat of a surprise. It did bring to light the Achilles heel of Aston Martin, an inability to bring the tires up to working temperature for a low fuel run.
It will be interesting to see how they bounce back, but this is going to be one uphill climb for both teams.
#5 Q1 and Q2 will be anybody's game
Looking at the timesheets beyond the top 3 teams reveals a complete cluster where there is no clarity over the pecking order. There is McLaren, followed by Alfa Romeo, followed by an AlphaTauri, and a Williams. However, this shows that the midfield teams are either struggling to make the tires work or are too close to each other.
However, this indicates that qualifying for the F1 Mexican GP will be a lottery for everyone, and the first two sessions in qualifying are going to be intriguing, to say the least.
