Sainz tops times; Russell crashes

Carlos Sainz

Carlos Sainz topped the times for Ferrari ahead of McLaren's Oscar Piastri in Friday's crash-hit second free practice at the Mexico City Grand Prix.

The Spaniard clocked a best lap in one minute and 17.699 seconds to beat the Australian by 0.178 seconds in a session of mandatory Pirelli tyre testing interrupted when Mercedes' George Russell crashed heavily.

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The British driver, who had also crashed at last weekend's United States Grand Prix in Austin, was unhurt, but required a check-up at the circuit medical centre before he was released to rejoin his team.

Defending champion Max Verstappen of Red Bull also missed most of the session with engine problems.

Russell lost control of his car after riding over a kerb at Turn Eight at the Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez and sliding backwards across the track into a protected wall at Turn Nine. One side of his car was destroyed. "I just don't know what happened," Russell said.

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