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MEXICO CITY, – Ferrari’s Carlos Sainz was fastest in Formula One’s Mexico City Grand Prix practice on Friday after Mercedes’ George Russell led the opening session and then crashed heavily in the late afternoon.

On an eventful day at the Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez, Red Bull’s championship leader Max Verstappen was sidelined by an engine problem and failed to set a lap time in the second session.

The triple world champion, who is 57 points clear of McLaren’s Lando Norris with five rounds remaining, has won five of the last six races in Mexico but is currently on a nine-race losing streak.

“This noise is very disturbing, this can’t be normal,” Verstappen said of the noise coming from his engine when he did venture out early on.

Sainz’s fastest lap of one minute 17.699 seconds, set on 2025 prototype tyres, was 0.178 quicker than McLaren’s Oscar Piastri with RB’s Yuki Tsunoda surprisingly third in both sessions.

Alex Albon missed second practice after colliding with Ferrari reserve Oliver Bearman and crashing out of first practice, leaving his Williams mechanics with plenty of work.

Albon called Bearman, who will race for Haas next season, an “idiot” but stewards decided it was a racing incident and took no further action.

Bearman had been driving Charles Leclerc’s car in the hour-long opening session and Ferrari got it repaired in time for Leclerc to use in the later session and lap fourth fastest.

Russell had lapped in 1:17.998 in practice one, with Sainz 0.317 slower, but the Briton’s later crash at turn eight brought out more red flags.

The Mercedes spun and slammed into the barriers sideways, with Russell also taken to the medical centre before being released.

“He’s physically OK but it was a significant impact,” said a team spokesman.

Norris sat out the first session while Mexican IndyCar regular Pato O’Ward took a turn in the McLaren, to the crowd’s delight, and ended up 13th. The Briton returned for the second stint and was fifth on the regular medium tyres.

Mercedes’ seven-times world champion Lewis Hamilton was also absent in session one, handing over his car to Italian Kimi Antonelli who will replace him next season, but was seventh later on.

Antonelli lapped 12th fastest in his second such outing of the season, avoiding any repeat of his debut crash at Monza in August.

Aston Martin’s Fernando Alonso started his preparation for a record 400th race with the 11th best time.

Mexican Sergio Perez, struggling with a dire lack of form, was only 10th and ninth for Red Bull respectively in the sessions.

The second session was extended to an hour and a half to allow teams to test Pirelli’s development tyres.