Alex Albon had to end his first free practice for the Mexican GP prematurely due to a collision with Ferrari rookie Oliver Bearman, which resulted in him hitting the wall. The crash was so severe that his Williams car could not be repaired in time for the second free practice. This was a setback for Albon, who questioned why Bearman was not warned earlier.
“I think he (Bearman) was told far too late that I was driving behind him,” Albon responded afterwards to Formula1.com. The Williams driver did not blame the Ferrari rookie – who was allowed to take over Charles Leclerc’s car during the first free practice – for the accident. “He did his best to speed up, but it was simply the wrong place on the track.
The onboard cameras showed Albon having to swerve and losing control of his car in the process. He grazed the back of the Ferrari, causing him to spin into the wall. “I was probably going a hundred kilometers per hour faster,” Albon explained. “I don’t blame myself, but I also don’t think it’s all Bearman’s fault. The team could have warned him a bit earlier. Besides, this is all new to him; the speeds are much higher than in Formula 2.”
Charles Leclerc
The stewards also took no further action. According to a report, Bearman’s positioning was ‘not unreasonable’, but unfortunate. Due to the damage to his FW46, Alexander Albon could not participate in the second free practice. He consoled himself with the thought that his competitors were mainly busy with a tire test for Pirelli. “Of course, it’s frustrating that I could only drive two laps,” Albon admitted.
Charles Leclerc, who was allowed to get back into ‘his’ Ferrari during the second free practice, was more fortunate. Despite the crash in FP1, the damage was quickly repaired, and he clocked the fourth fastest time. “It felt good,” responded the Monegasque, who claimed his third victory of the season last week in Austin. “The long runs looked promising. After the first free practice, the car was quickly repaired; there was no major damage,” Leclerc assured.
