Hamilton's Challenging Final Practice in Mexico City

Lewis Hamilton experienced a difficult final practice session ahead of the Mexico City Grand Prix, going off track three times. This challenging session raises questions about Mercedes' setup and Hamilton's confidence heading into qualifying.

Why it matters:

Consistency and confidence are paramount in Formula 1, especially during the crucial final practice session before qualifying. Hamilton's repeated excursions off track suggest that either Mercedes is struggling to find a comfortable balance on the high-altitude circuit, or Hamilton himself is pushing the limits in an attempt to extract more performance. This could significantly impact his starting position for Sunday's race, which is vital for championship aspirations.

The details:

• Incident One: Early in the session, Hamilton ran wide at Turn 1, a notoriously tricky corner known for braking zone challenges.
• Incident Two: Later, he had a more significant moment at Turn 4, losing the rear and briefly ending up on the run-off area, indicating a potential struggle with rear-end stability.
• Incident Three: His third off-track excursion occurred at Turn 12, a high-speed section, suggesting a general lack of grip or an aggressive setup that's hard to manage.
• Track Conditions: The Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez circuit in Mexico City is known for its high altitude, which reduces downforce and puts extra strain on engines and brakes, often leading to tricky handling characteristics.
• Mercedes' Form: Mercedes has generally shown strong pace in recent races, making these struggles for Hamilton particularly noteworthy.

The big picture:

Mexico has often been a challenging circuit for Mercedes in the past due to its unique high-altitude conditions affecting both engine performance and aerodynamic grip. While Hamilton has won here before, these practice incidents indicate that the team might be grappling with the current car's characteristics on this specific track. The team's ability to quickly analyze data and make setup changes will be crucial for a strong qualifying performance.

What's next:

All eyes will be on qualifying to see if Mercedes can resolve the handling issues and if Hamilton can regain his composure and find the pace needed to challenge at the front. A grid penalty due to an engine change is not currently expected, but a poor qualifying result could put him on the back foot for the Grand Prix. His performance in qualifying will be a key indicator of Mercedes' true competitiveness this weekend.