Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez might seem like a straightforward F1 circuit with hardly any difference in elevation and a reasonable balance of straights and corners. However, there is far more to this seemingly ‘normal’ racing ring. The truth is that the Mexico City Grand Prix takes place nearly 2200 meters above sea level, making it almost extremely complicated for teams, including Ferrari, to run their engines.
Hence, quite unsurprisingly, Ferrari were anything but optimistic, heading into the race weekend. There was a sense of disbelief lurking within the Maranello outfit, all thanks to the significant difference in air pressure compared to previous Grand Prix events. And rightfully so, both Charles Leclerc and Carlos Sainz encountered a load of problems throughout the practice sessions on Friday.
While the Monegasque had to cope with a strange noise from the engine, the issues were almost terminal in Sainz’s car. In fact, the Spaniard was one of the fewest drivers who failed to get a decent running on Friday amidst a rather mysterious hydraulics issue. Barely minutes into FP1, Sainz dropped the bombshell on the Ferrari engineers and was obliged to spend a significant amount of time in the pits.
A tough start to the weekend for @Carlossainz55
But he recovered to finish P7 in practice 💪#MexicoGP #F1 pic.twitter.com/8FeJN2zVTV
— Formula 1 (@F1) October 27, 2023
What’s more, the very issue also nearly orchestrated a collision between Sainz and home hero, Sergio Perez. And the Ferrari driver had to issue an apology to Perez on the team radio before strolling his way back into the pits. Take a look at what Sainz had to say after the bizarre hurdles on Friday.
Carlos Sainz reacts to a bitter-sweet Ferrari F1 outing in Mexico
Moments after escaping a horrible crash with Perez, Sainz took to the team radio and said, “Ah I lost the car, hydraulics. I am going to try and make it back. I have no power steering. Sorry Checo, but I have an issue with the car.”
🇲🇽Busy Friday here in Mexico. We covered our main items of the run plan despite a minor setback in FP1. Still some work before Quali but I’m looking forward to the rest of the weekend. Amazing atmosphere! Thank you all for your support!
–#CarlosSainz pic.twitter.com/6dztBIxOOT
— Carlos Sainz (@Carlossainz55) October 28, 2023
Despite the brief halt, Sainz managed to complete nearly 23 laps in FP1 before adding 34 more laps in the second practice outing. “Busy Friday here in Mexico. We covered our main items of the run plan despite a minor setback in FP1. Still some work before Quali but I’m looking forward to the rest of the weekend. Amazing atmosphere! Thank you all for your support!” Sainz reacted to his weekend so far.
Overall, a positive Friday albeit with some hurdles, and by the looks of it, Ferrari might just encounter more such problems as they move deeper into the weekend. Hence, the question is, can they overcome all the hindrances to secure a strong podium finish in Mexico?