Max Verstappen topped the timesheets in Friday’s second practice session at the Mexico City Grand Prix, making the most of Red Bull’s latest round of upgrades on his RB21.
The reigning champion set a 1m17.392s to edge out Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc by just 0.153s, as the title race continues to heat up.
Unlike the opening session – where nine regular drivers, including Verstappen, sat out to allow rookies their mandated track time – FP2 saw a full field take to the circuit. With conditions improving on a less “green” track surface, the hour provided the first real indication of this weekend’s pecking order.
Mexico City Grand Prix Free Practice 1 - Results
Verstappen’s car ran with flow-vis paint early on as Red Bull gathered valuable aerodynamic data on its revised floor, a rarity so late in the season.
Despite experimenting with setup, the Dutchman ended up setting the benchmark time before switching to a long run. However, he wasn’t entirely happy: “It’s terrible, I have no grip, it’s like driving on ice," he reported over team radio during his race simulation.
Leclerc stays close as Ferrari continues solid form
Leclerc, who had led the way in the opening session, again set the early pace on medium tyres with a 1m18.353s before improving to 1m17.545s on softs.
Though Verstappen eventually eclipsed him, the Monegasque looked comfortable in Ferrari’s SF-25, keeping Red Bull within striking distance across both short and long runs.
Mercedes junior Andrea Kimi Antonelli impressed once again by slotting into third place despite a technical issue that curtailed his running.
Lando Norris followed in fourth, though the McLaren driver reported “a lot of misfires” over the radio after returning to action, having handed his car to local favourite Pato O’Ward for FP1.
Midfield tightens as Hamilton leads the pack
Lewis Hamilton continued Ferrari’s positive momentum, finishing fifth ahead of team-mate George Russell.
Yuki Tsunoda, Fernando Alonso, Carlos Sainz, and Lance Stroll completed the top ten, separated by just four-tenths of a second — a sign that the battle behind Red Bull and Ferrari remains fiercely competitive.
Championship leader Oscar Piastri had a quiet afternoon in 12th, more than half a second adrift of Verstappen’s benchmark, while McLaren focused on higher-fuel data gathering.
Alpine’s struggles deepen
It was another grim session for Alpine, with Franco Colapinto and Pierre Gasly finishing 18th and 20th. Both drivers were over 1.3 seconds off Verstappen’s pace and roughly four-tenths down on the next slowest team, Sauber.
Williams’ Alex Albon had a close call exiting the final corner, brushing the wall on a flying lap, but managed to complete his run without significant damage.
As Friday wrapped up, Verstappen’s commanding pace — even with handling complaints — underlined that Red Bull’s upgrades could be the key to keeping his title hopes alive heading into the final five rounds.
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