Ahead of Norris and Russell in FP2
Charles Leclerc maintained Ferrari’s strong start to the Mexico City Grand Prix weekend by setting the fastest time in Free Practice 2, completing a Friday double at the Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez. The Monegasque posted a best lap of 1:17.827 to finish 0.103 seconds clear of McLaren’s Lando Norris, while Lewis Hamilton’s session ended prematurely with a power unit problem.
George Russell finished third for Mercedes, just 0.003 seconds behind Norris, with team-mate Kimi Antonelli fourth. Max Verstappen completed the top five for Red Bull Racing, 0.311 seconds off Leclerc’s benchmark, while Isack Hadjar finished sixth.
Following a disrupted opening practice session, FP2 offered a valuable opportunity for teams to gather additional data, particularly for those whose running had been limited by the number of rookie drivers taking part earlier in the day. With track conditions still evolving and grip levels relatively low, the opening minutes saw several drivers head straight out to build up their mileage.
Arvid Lindblad briefly occupied the top of the timing screens with a 1:20.275, before Hadjar moved ahead with a 1:19.584 set on Medium tyres. Hamilton then demonstrated Ferrari’s pace on the medium compound, setting a 1:18.741 to take provisional first place.
Leclerc soon bettered that effort, posting a 1:18.257 on the same tyre to move to the top of the order. However, the session was not without its problems. Ollie Bearman, who had required an engine change following a smoky end to FP1, briefly pulled off at Turn 2 before returning to the pits. Audi also encountered difficulties, with Gabriel Bortoleto remaining in the garage while his team investigated an issue with his car.
There was further drama in the stadium section when Verstappen and Liam Lawson made contact, damaging the Red Bull’s bargeboard. The incident interrupted the flow of the session and left Verstappen running with visible damage, while both drivers are set to be investigated by the stewards after the session.
As the field switched to Soft tyres for qualifying simulations, Norris initially struggled to complete a clean flying lap but eventually went fastest with a 1:18.161. Leclerc was just behind but the Monegasque clattered over the kerbs at the end of the lap amnd lost his opener and then locked up into Turn 1 on his next attempt.
Hamilton briefly threatened to challenge at the front, producing a particularly strong middle sector, but his afternoon came to an abrupt end when he reported losing power at Turn 13. The seven-time World Champion was instructed to stop his Ferrari and pulled over between Turns 3 and 4, prompting a Virtual Safety Car while his car was recovered.
Leclerc eventually found a clean lap and moved back into first place with a 1:17.966 before improving further to 1:17.827. Antonelli moved into second, while Russell also climbed the order as Mercedes completed its Soft-tyre runs. Norris ultimately secured second, with Russell just three thousandths behind him.
Verstappen, meanwhile, managed to climb to fifth despite the damage sustained in his earlier contact with Lawson. His 1:18.138 left him 0.311 seconds behind Leclerc, with team-mate Hadjar another tenth further back in sixth. Lindblad impressed to finish seventh for Racing Bulls, ahead of Pierre Gasly and Lawson, while Oscar Piastri completed the top 10.
With approximately 15 minutes remaining, attention turned towards longer running as teams began evaluating their tyre performance and gathering race-relevant data. Most opted for a mixture of medium and soft compounds, with the medium tyre appearing to offer encouraging durability around the relatively low lateral-load circuit.
Bortoleto finally emerged following extensive repairs to his Audi, managing to complete 12 laps, while Hamilton's Ferrari remained out of action. The Brazilian nevertheless finished at the bottom of the classification, with Cadillac's Valtteri Bottas just ahead.
2026 FIA Formula 1 Mexico City Grand Prix – Free Practice 2
1 Charles Leclerc Ferrari 1:17.827 35 199.087
2 Lando Norris McLaren/Mercedes 1:17.930 0.103 33 198.824
3 George Russell Mercedes 1:17.933 0.106 31 198.816
4 Kimi Antonelli Mercedes 1:18.044 0.217 33 198.534
5 Max Verstappen Red Bull/Red Bull Ford 1:18.138 0.311 26 198.295
6 Isack Hadjar Red Bull/Red Bull Ford 1:18.237 0.410 31 198.044
7 Arvid Lindblad Racing Bulls/Red Bull Ford 1:18.389 0.562 34 197.660
8 Pierre Gasly Alpine/Mercedes 1:18.407 0.580 33 197.615
9 Liam Lawson Racing Bulls/Red Bull Ford 1:18.455 0.628 32 197.494
10 Oscar Piastri McLaren/Mercedes 1:18.469 0.642 31 197.458
11 Lewis Hamilton Ferrari 1:18.512 0.685 13 197.350
12 Fernando Alonso Aston Martin/Honda 1:18.596 0.769 30 197.139
13 Esteban Ocon Haas/Ferrari 1:18.774 0.947 32 196.694
14 Oliver Bearman Haas/Ferrari 1:18.849 1.022 32 196.507
15 Nico Hülkenberg Audi 1:19.023 1.196 35 196.074
16 Franco Colapinto Alpine/Mercedes 1:19.132 1.305 34 195.804
17 Carlos Sainz Williams/Mercedes 1:19.248 1.421 28 195.517
18 Sergio Pérez Cadillac/Ferrari 1:19.406 1.579 33 195.128
19 Alexander Albon Williams/Mercedes 1:19.578 1.751 31 194.707
20 Lance Stroll Aston Martin/Honda 1:19.631 1.804 24 194.577
21 Valtteri Bottas Cadillac/Ferrari 1:20.165 2.338 33 193.281
22 Gabriel Bortoleto Audi 1:20.174 2.347 12 193.259
Leclerc tops FP1 in Mexico City as F1 rookies get a chance to shine
Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc topped the timesheets in the opening practice session for the 2026 FIA Formula 1 Mexico City Grand Prix, leading a Ferrari one-two ahead of championship leader Kimi Antonelli and Mercedes reserve Frederik Vesti at the Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez.
Leclerc set a best time of 1:18.128 on soft tyres to finish 0.659s clear of Antonelli, with Vesti a further 0.074s behind in third. The Mercedes reserve was deputising for George Russell as teams fulfilled Formula 1's requirement to give young drivers track time during the season. Under the regulations, each team must provide two Free Practice 1 sessions per car to drivers who have competed in no more than two Grands Prix. With several teams using the opportunity in Mexico City, the opening session featured a significantly different line-up from the one that will contest the remainder of the weekend.
Among those taking part were Ayumu Iwasa, who replaced Max Verstappen at Red Bull Racing, Gabriele Minì at Alpine, Nikola Tsolov at Racing Bulls, Leonardo Fornaroli at McLaren, Ryō Hirakawa at Haas, Freddie Slater at Audi, Luke Browning at Williams, Jak Crawford at Aston Martin and Colton Herta at Cadillac.
At the start of the session Ferrari’s Lewis Hamilton was among the first drivers to take to the circuit, beginning an aerodynamic evaluation programme with flow-measuring equipment fitted to his Ferrari. Sergio Pérez, making his 300th Grand Prix weekend appearance at his home event, was also among the early runners.
Initial lap times were some way off the eventual pace as drivers familiarised themselves with the conditions and the relatively low grip levels at the high-altitude circuit. Iwasa briefly moved to the top of the order before Antonelli established himself at the head of the timesheets with a 1:20.814.
The Mercedes driver continued to improve, lowering the benchmark to 1:20.155, while Nico Hülkenberg and Pierre Gasly also featured near the front. Leclerc then produced a significant improvement, setting a 1:19.197 to move almost a second clear of Antonelli. Hamilton was also making progress with his aerodynamic programme, while several drivers struggled for grip through the technical middle sector.
There was an early interruption for Isack Hadjar, who reported a loss of power and an engine-braking issue over team radio. The Red Bull driver managed to return to the pits, where the team began investigating the problem. He would later report further difficulties with his steering.
As the session entered its second half, teams began switching to the soft compound in preparation for qualifying simulations. Lindblad was among the first to make the change, moving into the top four despite a significant lock-up into Turn 1.
Leclerc subsequently delivered the fastest lap of the session, recording a 1:18.128 to establish a substantial advantage. Antonelli responded to secure second place, while Vesti impressed on his first appearance of the weekend by finishing third, just ahead of Hamilton in the second Ferrari.
Iwasa completed the top five for Red Bull Racing, finishing 0.985s off the pace, with Gasly sixth for Alpine. Fernando Alonso was seventh for Aston Martin, ahead of Oscar Piastri, Oliver Bearman and Lindblad, who completed the top ten.
The session was interrupted by a Virtual Safety Car after Crawford stopped his Aston Martin at Turn 1. The American, who had completed 15 laps, was unable to continue, with the team subsequently identifying a suspected energy recovery system issue.
Audi also encountered difficulties with Slater's car. The team initially brought the rookie back into the garage after discovering that a cooling component had been left inside the sidepod, restricting airflow. Following checks, Slater was able to return to the circuit and complete further running but the team was set to be investigated after the sessions for an unsafe release.
There was a further moment of concern for Haas at the end of the session when Bearman returned to the pits with smoke coming from his car, apparently as a result of overheating brakes.
With Leclerc comfortably fastest, Mercedes emerged as Ferrari's closest challenger, while Iwasa's fifth place provided Red Bull with useful early information. However, with so many regular race drivers absent and several teams focusing on evaluation programmes, the opening hour offered only an initial indication of the competitive picture ahead of the weekend's remaining practice sessions.
2026 FIA Formula 1 Mexico City Grand Prix – Free Practice 1
1 Charles Leclerc Ferrari 1:18.128 29 198.320
2 Kimi Antonelli Mercedes 1:18.787 0.659 30 196.661
3 Frederik Vesti Mercedes 1:18.861 0.733 24 196.477
4 Lewis Hamilton Ferrari 1:18.866 0.738 25 196.464
5 Ayumu Iwasa Red Bull/Red Bull Ford 1:19.113 0.985 23 195.851
6 Pierre Gasly Alpine/Mercedes 1:19.210 1.082 33 195.611
7 Fernando Alonso Aston Martin/Honda 1:19.357 1.229 29 195.249
8 Oscar Piastri McLaren/Mercedes 1:19.376 1.248 30 195.202
9 Oliver Bearman Haas/Ferrari 1:19.412 1.284 28 195.114
10 Arvid Lindblad Racing Bulls/Red Bull Ford 1:19.478 1.350 30 194.952
11 Isack Hadjar Red Bull/Red Bull Ford 1:19.545 1.417 21 194.787
12 Nikola Tsolov Racing Bulls/Red Bull Ford 1:19.604 1.476 29 194.643
13 Nico Hülkenberg Audi 1:19.608 1.480 27 194.633
14 Gabriele Minì Alpine/Mercedes 1:19.946 1.818 22 193.810
15 Ryō Hirakawa Haas/Ferrari 1:19.982 1.854 30 193.723
16 Carlos Sainz Williams/Mercedes 1:20.006 1.878 31 193.665
17 Leonardo Fornaroli McLaren/Mercedes 1:20.235 2.107 25 193.112
18 Sergio Pérez Cadillac/Ferrari 1:20.395 2.267 31 192.728
19 Jak Crawford Aston Martin/Honda 1:20.803 2.675 15 191.755
20 Luke Browning Williams/Mercedes 1:20.869 2.741 33 191.598
21 Freddie Slater Audi 1:20.945 2.817 14 191.418
22 Colton Herta Cadillac/Ferrari 1:21.365 3.237 30 190.430
