Alonso's Sarcastic Applause and Near-Miss with Hamilton in Mexico Practice

Fernando Alonso delivered a sarcastic round of applause towards Lewis Hamilton during a practice session at the Mexico City Grand Prix, an incident that nearly led to a collision before Alonso quickly re-engaged his steering wheel. The moment, captured on onboard footage, highlighted the persistent issue of track traffic and driver frustration.

Why it matters:

• Incidents like this, while not penalized, underscore the high-pressure environment of F1 practice sessions and the fine line drivers walk between aggressive driving and impeding rivals.
• It also offers a glimpse into the often-tense dynamics between veteran competitors like Alonso and Hamilton, adding another layer of intrigue to their long-standing rivalry.

The Details:

• During the second practice session, Alonso was running behind Hamilton when he perceived an impedance, leading to his sarcastic applause.
• The gesture was ill-timed, as both cars were heading into a corner side-by-side, forcing Alonso to quickly correct his steering to avoid contact with Hamilton.
• No Further Action: Race Control did not flag the incident, nor was it referred to the stewards for investigation, suggesting it was deemed a minor on-track misunderstanding.
• Aston Martin's Progress: Despite the incident, Alonso showed improved pace in FP2, finishing eighth fastest, half a second behind Max Verstappen. This was a significant improvement from FP1, where he was a full second off the lead.
  • Alonso noted, "The car felt better, for sure, in FP2 than FP1. So we made some setup changes... let’s try to explore more into that direction tonight."
• Cautious Optimism: Alonso, however, remains cautious about Aston Martin's Q3 prospects, citing a trend of strong Friday performances not translating to Saturdays. He observed that many drivers used FP1 for rookie runs, implying further improvements are expected across the grid for Saturday.

What's next:

• The competitive field, with ten drivers separated by just half a second, suggests a tight qualifying session in Mexico City.
• Alonso and Aston Martin will be looking to translate their improved FP2 performance into a strong qualifying result, despite the Spaniard's tempered expectations regarding Q3. The team's ongoing setup adjustments will be crucial for their Saturday performance.