FP1 saw the maiden outings for three drivers who represent the futures of the three top teams.
Isack Hadjar of Red Bull, Oliver Bearman of Ferrari and Frederik Vesti of Mercedes all made their F1 practice debuts in the Mexico GP FP1 session, but they weren’t the only youngsters on track, as fellow F2 racers Alpine’s Jack Doohan and Alfa Romeo’s Theo Pourchaire had already enjoyed previous practice outings.
Of the debutants, the first two were farmed out to associated teams; AlphaTauri in the case of Hadjar and Haas for Bearman. But like Vesti they were there to stake their claims as long-term candidates as F1 prospects.
With its high altitude and low downforce Mexico City is a tricky track even for regulars to adjust to each year so it is a test for any newcomers.
Remember Alfonso Celis Jr? You may not because after he crashed Esteban Ocon’s Force India in the 2017 FP1 session in Mexico his career was over before it started, give or take a couple of IndyCar starts.
Guenther Steiner summed it up perfectly when describing his pep talk with Bearman: “I explained to him you're always judged by the things you do badly, not the things that are good. Because if you do everything right, nobody will remember. But if you crash the car on your first outing in an F1 car in FP1, that will be on your resume for the rest of your life.
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“If you ever make it into F1 because of that. You know how this business works, and I made him aware of that. I think he's smart enough to know that he doesn't go through anything stupid.”
Source: Autosport