Key Takeaways
- Max Verstappen tops Mexico City GP practice with fastest lap time
- McLaren’s Piastri and Norris trail the Red Bull driver in championship standings
- Rookie drivers impress during mandatory first practice session
Max Verstappen continued his Formula One championship charge by setting the fastest practice time for the Mexico City Grand Prix on Friday. The Red Bull driver clocked 1:17.392 around the Hermanos Rodriguez circuit, extending his impressive comeback in the title fight.
Despite complaining that the medium tyre felt “like driving on ice,” the four-time world champion demonstrated his mastery of the challenging track conditions. With just five rounds remaining, Verstappen now sits 40 points behind McLaren’s Oscar Piastri and 26 behind teammate Lando Norris.
Practice Session Highlights
Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc secured second position on the overall timesheets, though he trailed Verstappen by 0.153 seconds. The Monegasque driver had earlier topped the first practice session, which featured nine rookies and reserve drivers as mandated by F1 regulations.
Red Bull’s rising star Arvid Lindblad made the most of his opportunity, taking over Verstappen’s car for the first practice and finishing sixth fastest – the best performance among non-race drivers. The British F2 driver handled the pressure expertly despite the high stakes.
Team Performances and Driver Comments
Mercedes junior Kimi Antonelli showed promise with strong showings in both sessions. McLaren’s Norris finished fourth overall despite sitting out the first practice, where Mexican IndyCar driver Pato O’Ward substituted for him.
Piastri expressed mixed feelings about his performance, stating: “It was okay. The lap on softs, on low fuel, was pretty average, so I’m not surprised with the lap time.” The Australian remained optimistic, adding: “It’s going to be tight, like always, but I think we have a good car underneath us.”
Red Bull principal Laurent Mekies praised Lindblad’s performance: “He did a very good job. It’s so difficult to jump in. The pace is there, so not much to argue against that.”
Lindblad acknowledged the pressure of driving Verstappen’s car, noting: “I was given the pep-talk beforehand. Obviously you never want to crash but there was even more emphasis on that in the session because of the amazing job the team have done over the last few races to bring themselves into the championship.”
Meanwhile, Sauber remained the only team that didn’t field a non-race driver during the first session. Alpine used the opportunity to evaluate future options, with Estonian reserve Paul Aron replacing Pierre Gasly and finishing 15th, while Argentine Franco Colapinto secured ninth in the other car.
Seven-time world champion Lewis Hamilton handed his Ferrari to endurance racer Antonio Fuoco for the first session, with the Italian finishing last. Hamilton returned to action in the second practice, setting the fifth fastest time as the teams prepared for qualifying.
