Ferrari's Charles Leclerc did not have an easy outing in Mexico on Friday. Sure, he was close to teammate Carlos Sainz's quickest time in the opening practice session, but the second did not go according to plan.
The second session is where teams and drivers test qualifying and race paces, with the final 20 minutes dedicated to long-run race simulations.
But for Leclerc and Ferrari, when they undertook their first long-run lap in FP2, the driver lost control of his F1 car, sending it into the barriers. Though he was unhurt, the same could not be said of the F1-75. The car suffered damage to its rear, but Leclerc is confident it would not hurt their chances in qualifying and the race.
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Charles Leclerc crashes out in FP2! ??#MexicoGP #F1 pic.twitter.com/hHnCfNNuyy
Still a good feeling
Leclerc's Friday had mixed results. From a puncture hindering his first Free Practice session to the crash in FP2, it did not go entirely to plan. But if Leclerc is to be believed, they are still competitive and within a chance of pole position and winning the race.
"To be honest, the feeling is good. We've been pretty unlucky in FP1. On my side, I had a puncture on the out-lap, so not many laps, but the few that I've done, I was happy with the car," Leclerc said.
In the second session, the team tried a different setup, but it did not have the desired effect. Yet, says Leclerc, the performance will be there in qualifying and the race.
READ: WRAP | 2022 Mexican Grand Prix - Ferrari duo quickest in opening practice
"In FP2, [it was] the same on the short runs, then I lost the rear at the start of the high-fuel [run], so [I had a] limited amount of laps, but
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