Fastest in FP1 Russell then had a second big crash
George Russell left his Mercedes Formula 1 team with a second major repair job within a week after a heavy crash in FP3 in Mexico on Friday.
Having topped FP1 Russell crashed early in the second session, which was devoted to 2025 Pirelli tyre testing.
The incident came after his crash in Q2 in Austin last Saturday, which ultimately obliged him to start from the pitlane because the length of the repair job forced the team to take his car out of parc ferme.
Russell says the Mexican crash caught him by surprise.
“Definitely feel a bit winded after that one,” said Russell after his second crash. “But honestly, I don’t really know what happened. The car just started bouncing on the ground, and before I even had a chance to catch it, it was already spinning.
“I tried taking the same line, cutting that corner, and for whatever reason on this occasion in FP2, the thing just started going on me.
“So yeah, a lot of work for the guys tonight, again. Just seems like it’s one thing after another at the moment. It’s frustrating as in FP1 we were really strong, really fast.”
Meanwhile Ale Albon missed most of Friday after a collision with Ferrari third driver Oliver Bearman in FP1.
Albon clipped the slow-moving Ferrari and then had heavy contact with the barrier. The team was unable to repair the car before the end of FP2.
“I think he got told very late that I was coming up behind him,” Albon said of Bearman. “He tried his best to speed up into the two or three high speed corners. We caught each other at exactly the worst moment on the track that you can, I think there was a 100km/h difference in terms of speed.
“So I don’t blame myself, but I don’t think it’s all on Ollie. I think he could have been told a bit better. Of course, also the closing speeds in F1 are much higher than F2.”
Adam Cooper F1 