Russell fastest in FP2 as Leclerc crash disrupts Pirelli tyre test
The extended 90-minute session at the Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez circuit was devoted to testing Pirelli’s 2023 tyres, as was the case in Austin last weekend.
Russell was 0.828s ahead of AlphaTauri’s Yuki Tsunoda as he posted a lap time almost a second quicker than Carlos Sainz’s FP1 benchmark.
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However, Russell’s best time was set on soft tyres - not Pirelli’s 2023 prototypes - as he carried out a normal programme during the first part of FP2 having sat out of first practice while Nyck de Vries deputised in his Mercedes.
Esteban Ocon rounded out the top-three for Alpine, 1.2s down on Russell, ahead of Lewis Hamilton, who was quickest of the drivers who exclusively ran on Pirelli’s unmarked test tyres.
The seven-time world champion was 1.5s slower than his Mercedes teammate but finished a tenth up on the Red Bull duo of home hero Sergio Perez and double world champion Max Verstappen, who were separated by just 0.009s.
Charles Leclerc was seventh-fastest but caused a red flag when he suffered a heavy crash at the Esses after losing control of his Ferrari and spinning rearwards into the barriers.
The incident led to a 15-minute delay while barrier repairs were carried out.
FP2 also ended a few minutes early when a stoppage for Alfa Romeo’s Zhou Guanyu in the final sector triggered a second red flag.
Sainz, Alfa Romeo’s Valtteri Bottas and AlphaTauri’s Pierre Gasly completed the top 10.
