Max Verstappen's despair deepened during FP2 at the Mexican GP as Red Bull were squashed by their championship rivals.
The Dutchman's power unit woes persisted into the second session of the day, forcing him to retire from the session early, failing to set a time.
F1 RESULTS: Verstappen handed major BLOW as rivals collide at Mexican GP
READ MORE: Ferrari star OUT at Mexican GP as drivers collide
FP2 in Mexico was extended by 30 minutes to accommodate the 2025 Pirelli tyre test, where all the drivers tested a range of softer compound tyres including a C4, C5, and C6 in the 90 minute session.
However, a red flag was soon waved after George Russell suffered a terrifying crash, and was seen clutching his ribs as he walked out of the car, the Brit transported straight to the medical centre.
A spokesperson has since confirmed that Russell is 'physically okay', but the Mercedes garage will have a lot of work ahead of them to get the car ready for Saturday.
Carlos Sainz set the fastest time in the session as Ferrari continued to impress in Mexico, with just eight points separating them from Red Bull in the constructors' title battle.
Once again Yuki Tsunoda managed to beat both Red Bull drivers, and finished P3 just behind the McLaren of Oscar Piastri.
Red Bull rivals Ferrari and McLaren both had their driver duos feature in the top five, handing them a further blow to start their weekend off, with Sergio Perez down in P9 and Verstappen out of the session, finishing P19 after Williams' Alex Albon failed to get back out on track after his FP1 incident, landing him in the bottom spot.
However, due to the Pirelli tyre test it was difficult to gauge how representative the session was, and who the favourite is heading into qualifying on Saturday, with few drivers setting a time on the current tyres.
READ MORE: Verstappen RETIRES as Mexican GP concerns plague Red Bull
F1 FP2 Results: Mexican Grand Prix 2024
1. Carlos Sainz [Ferrari] - 1:17.699secs
2. Oscar Piastri [McLaren] - +0.178sec
3. Yuki Tsunoda [VCARB] - +0.179sec
4. Charles Leclerc [Ferrari] - +0.188sec
5. Lando Norris [McLaren] - +0.249sec
6. Kevin Magnussen [Haas] - +0.540sec
7. Lewis Hamilton [Mercedes] - +0.580sec
8. Valtteri Bottas [Kick Sauber] - +0.652sec
9. Sergio Perez [Red Bull] - +0.693sec
10. Liam Lawson [VCARB] - +0.861sec
11. Fernando Alonso [Aston Martin] - +0.880sec
12. Nico Hulkenberg [Haas] - +0.922sec
13. Esteban Ocon [Alpine] - +0.957sec
14. Lance Stroll [Aston Martin] - +1.191sec
15. Franco Colapinto [Williams] - +1.209sec
16. Pierre Gasly [Alpine] - +1.243sec
17. Zhou Guanyu [Kick Sauber] - +1.281sec
18. George Russell [Mercedes] - +1.342sec
19. Max Verstappen [Red Bull] - NO TIME
20. Alex Albon [Williams] - NO TIME
Who is the current F1 world champion?
Max Verstappen is the reigning F1 champion, and currently leads the 2024 world drivers' championship.
READ MORE: Ferrari star OUT at Mexican GP as drivers collide
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