FP1 in Mexico was brought to a sudden halt after Alex Albon and Ollie Bearman collided on track, with the red flags being thrown as a result.
With just over 20 minutes gone in the session the cameras panned to the Williams of Albon nestled in the barriers at Turn 10, with Bearman – driving Charles Leclerc’s Ferrari in FP1 – coming to a halt in the same area of the track with clear damage to the car.
FP1: Russell leads Sainz and Tsunoda during first practice in Mexico after dramatic Albon/Bearman collision
Replays showed the Thai driver had lost control on the approach to Turn 9, subsequently hitting Bearman as the 19-year-old Briton was off the racing line going slowly.
“It’s frustrating more than anything else,” said Williams Team Principal James Vowles to Sky Sports F1. “Alex had to back out of it and lost the car, with the car effectively on the apex. The car doesn’t really step out there, he lifted off as he saw [Bearman] where he was going to be, but I need to understand it as no driver wants to be in the way.”
Thankfully both drivers were unharmed, with Albon getting out of the cockpit following his heavy impact into the barriers and heading towards the deployed Medical Car. The incident itself will be investigated after the session.
Click play on the video above to watch the collision in first practice at the Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez.
