Norris dominates Verstappen as Red Bull star HUMILIATED about...

Norris dominates Verstappen as Red Bull star HUMILIATED

The final practice session (FP3) for the 2024 Mexican Grand Prix saw McLaren’s Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri dominate, outperforming their competitors and leaving Red Bull’s Max Verstappen and Mercedes’ Lewis Hamilton trailing behind. Both McLaren drivers showcased impressive speed on their qualifying simulations, with Piastri clocking the fastest time of the session at 1:16.492 and Norris close behind, only 0.059 seconds adrift. Verstappen and Hamilton, by contrast, struggled to match the pace, finishing around half a second slower.

The McLaren cars’ performance was a surprise to some, especially Verstappen, who voiced his amazement over team radio after his flying lap. His Red Bull car, typically a top performer, seemed unable to challenge the papaya-clad McLarens on the day. Ferrari’s Carlos Sainz also outpaced Verstappen, securing the third spot and finishing with a lap time just 0.340 seconds behind Piastri. Hamilton, another frequent contender for top spots, had to settle for fifth, clocking in at 0.568 seconds slower than Piastri.

Home-crowd favorite Sergio Perez had a challenging session, ending up 14th after a mistake during a late attempt to improve his time. The Red Bull driver lost control under braking and was unable to recover enough time to match the leading cars. Despite the local support and the advantage of familiar territory, Perez’s session lacked the spark his fans may have hoped for, adding to the ongoing struggles he has faced this season in maintaining consistency.

Teams were largely focused on refining their setups ahead of the upcoming qualifying session and Sunday’s race, and FP3 remained relatively calm compared to the preceding two practice sessions. Unlike Friday’s sessions, which had seen more on-track incidents, the drivers mostly kept their cars under control in FP3. Liam Lawson, driving a VCARB car, did face a minor mishap, spinning after clipping the kerbs in the stadium section. However, Lawson quickly recovered and continued the session without further issues. His final lap time placed him tenth, just behind Haas’s Kevin Magnussen.

The rest of the midfield also witnessed close competition. Yuki Tsunoda, another VCARB driver, secured seventh place, 0.810 seconds behind Piastri. Mercedes’ George Russell took eighth, with a lap time just slightly slower than Tsunoda’s, while Williams’ Alex Albon came in at 11th, narrowly missing the top 10 by a gap of 1.019 seconds. Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc, meanwhile, could only manage sixth place, trailing his teammate Sainz by 0.400 seconds, yet still within striking distance of the front-runners.

The lower grid positions saw several drivers, including Valtteri Bottas, Franco Colapinto, and Fernando Alonso, separated by narrow margins. Both Aston Martins, driven by Alonso and Lance Stroll, struggled throughout the session, ending up 15th and 17th respectively. Esteban Ocon and Pierre Gasly, driving for Alpine, rounded out the final positions in 18th and 20th.

As the teams prepare for qualifying, McLaren’s surprising pace has injected fresh excitement into the grid. With both Norris and Piastri performing so well, McLaren’s chances look promising heading into the race. Verstappen and Red Bull, while still strong contenders, will need to strategize carefully to keep up. For fans, the Mexican Grand Prix promises an intense battle, with McLaren, Red Bull, and Ferrari all vying for the top spots as they move toward the closing stages of the season.