Verstappen And Norris Express Concerns Over Race Pace At Mexico City Grand Prix

Max Verstappen and Lando Norris expressed concerns before the Mexico City Grand Prix. Nine drivers missed the first practice, but Verstappen led the second session, finishing 0.153 seconds ahead of Charles Leclerc from Ferrari. Norris secured fourth place, while championship leader Oscar Piastri struggled, ending in 12th. Verstappen trails Piastri by 40 points in the championship, with Norris 14 points behind his McLaren teammate.

Despite their strong performances on Friday, both drivers were not optimistic about the weekend. Verstappen highlighted issues with tyre grip during longer runs. "The short run on the soft we managed to do a good lap, everything else was pretty bad," he stated. He noted that while they could be fast over one lap, race pace was a concern due to overheating tyres.

Norris echoed similar sentiments after finishing 0.251 seconds behind Verstappen in the second practice session. He mentioned getting up to speed quickly but acknowledged some limitations. "I got up to speed quite quickly, I was quite surprised," he said. He added that they usually perform well on Fridays but face challenges as others improve by Saturday.

Verstappen elaborated on their struggles with medium tyres and long runs, stating that balance wasn't the issue but rather a lack of grip. "On the medium [tyre], the short run was not great and the big problem was the long run," he explained. The team faces difficulties maintaining pace during sustainable runs as tyres heat up.

Norris also pointed out balance issues similar to previous weeks, affecting their single-lap performance. "The balance is a bit all over the place, same as the last few weeks," he remarked. Both drivers acknowledged that improvements are necessary before Saturday's sessions.

The upcoming sessions will be crucial for both drivers as they aim to address these issues and improve their standings in the championship race. With tyre performance being a significant factor, teams will need to strategise effectively for optimal results during the race weekend.