Max Verstappen from Red Bull led the second practice session at the Mexico City Grand Prix, with Charles Leclerc from Ferrari close behind and Kimi Antonelli from Mercedes showing strong pace too.
Friday’s first practice saw nine rookie drivers take the track, with Leclerc coming out on top. The second session kicked off in warm, dry weather, and all 20 cars were racing out of the pit lane just moments after the green light flashed. Antonelli faced issues early, prompting him to “limp home” with a problem in his Mercedes. He managed to continue driving but had to return to the pits for further checks.
George Russell, Antonelli’s teammate, had a shaky start as well, going off track early on. Leclerc set a quick lap time of 1:18.353, leading initially before others caught up. Verstappen, however, showed impressive speed and eventually topped the charts with a time of 1:17.392, surpassing Leclerc by 0.153 seconds.
Hamilton appeared strong at first, matching Verstappen’s pace early in the session but couldn’t keep it going. McLaren drivers Norris and Piastri were about eight-tenths of a second behind in P7 and P8.
As the session progressed, drivers improved their times. Antonelli climbed to third place, while Norris and Hamilton moved into fourth and fifth, respectively. Verstappen then switched to medium tyres to run a race simulation.
Remarkably, both Leclerc and Verstappen opted for the same medium compound later, but many others continued on the softer tyre. Piastri, aiming to rebound from previous poor races, found himself in P12 by the end.
Verstappen expressed frustration about grip issues, likening his handling to “driving on ice.” Meanwhile, Russell also reported challenges with his Mercedes. In the final moments, Verstappen returned to the soft tyres, managing to avoid traffic, while Antonelli had trouble after locking up behind Liam Lawson.
As the session wrapped up, Verstappen ended up with the fastest time, leaving Leclerc and Antonelli in his wake. Norris was the top McLaren in fourth, followed by Hamilton, Russell, Tsunoda, Alonso, Sainz, and Stroll rounding out the top ten.
In total, the drivers will pore over their data in the paddock before Saturday’s action, with the third practice starting at 11:30 and qualifying at 15:00 local time.
Insights
Historically, the Mexico City Grand Prix has seen thrilling races, often impacted by the altitude and unique track characteristics. Verstappen has shown consistent dominance in recent seasons, contributing to Red Bull’s notable success this year. Current driver performance is a hot topic, with many fans engaging in discussions on social media platforms like Twitter and Instagram, where trending hashtags often center around Verstappen’s impressive form.
According to recent surveys, fan interest in Formula 1 is at an all-time high, with viewership growing by over 20% compared to last season. Experts attribute this to a mix of thrilling races, emerging talents, and the intense competition among the top teams.
For a deeper dive into the event and recent statistics, you can check out the official Formula 1 site.
