Alonso’s slow clap at Hamilton spices up Mexico FP2 — and nearly goes sideways
Fernando Alonso added a little theatre to a busy Friday in Mexico City, sarcastically applauding Lewis Hamilton mid-lap before yanking his hands back to the wheel to avoid an awkward brush with the Ferrari. A classic Alonso flourish, right up to the moment it looked like he might clap himself into trouble.
The flashpoint came in second practice as Alonso trailed Hamilton through traffic at the AutĂłdromo Hermanos RodrĂguez, a place where tempers and brakes overheat in equal measure. Feeling he’d been impeded, Alonso took both hands off the wheel for a pointed round of applause. Unfortunately, they were running side-by-side into the corner, and the Aston Martin driver had to snap back left to avoid the Ferrari before turning in. Race Control didn’t give it a second glance; no notes, no investigation.
On the stopwatch, it was a more reassuring afternoon for Alonso. He ended FP2 eighth, around half a second shy of Max Verstappen’s benchmark 1:17.392, and a decent step from FP1, where he’d been a full second off the pace. “The car felt better in FP2,” he said, noting set-up tweaks between sessions. “We’ll explore more tonight.”
There was a broader caveat from the two-time champion, too. Fridays have flattered Aston Martin before in 2025. “We’ve been in the top five the last four grands prix on Fridays, and then it’s not the real picture on Saturdays,” he warned. With many teams handing FP1 mileage to rookies, the evening running packed with representative programs, and the track evolving rapidly at altitude, Alonso expects the pack to tighten. “Most people only did FP2. Tomorrow, everyone will improve.”
Mexico’s thin air always plays tricks. Engines breathe harder, wings can’t, and the braking zones get messy as rubber goes down. It’s also a circuit that turns into a rolling roadblock as drivers back up for a tow or find a gap through the final stadium complex. That cocktail made FP2 feel busy and occasionally spiky. Alonso’s applause for Hamilton was the headline moment, but the underlying story was a field compressed enough to make small gains matter. Q3? Alonso called it “maybe too optimistic,” but didn’t rule it out: “We’ll go for it.”
The Aston remains a bit of a chameleon this year — sharp enough on low fuel to tease, less convincing once the grip builds and everyone turns up the power. Mexico will ask tough questions about traction and straight-line efficiency, two areas where the green car has swung from solid to skittish depending on the weekend. If the balance Alonso found in FP2 sticks into Saturday, he’ll fancy a proper scrap for the top 10.
As for the Hamilton moment, don’t file it under deep rivalry revival just yet. It read more like a Friday release valve than a plot point, the sort of thing veterans do when the mirrors are full and the delta screams “push.” Still, in a season where the margins are brutal and the narrative never sleeps, it’s a reminder that even practice laps can carry a little needle — and the wrong round of applause can come with a sting.
