Mexico City Grand Prix: Verstappen Leads Second Practice in Competitive Session
Max Verstappen clocked the fastest time in the second practice for the Mexico City Grand Prix, securing a lap of 1:17.545 while using soft tires. This session displayed a competitive field, with all four front-running teams occupying the top four positions.
Despite sitting out the first practice to allow junior driver Arvid Lindblad to take his place, Verstappen’s performance remained unaffected. However, he expressed dissatisfaction with his car’s grip during long runs on medium tires, describing the experience as “like driving on ice,” a common challenge at this high-altitude circuit.
Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc, who was fastest in FP1, finished second, just 0.153 seconds behind Verstappen. Rookie Andrea Kimi Antonelli impressed with a third-place finish, only 0.021 seconds off Leclerc but benefited from better track conditions by setting his time later in the session.
Lando Norris rounded out the top four despite a challenging session that began with a misfiring power unit. After addressing the issue, he emerged fourth, 0.251 seconds off the quickest time. Teammate Oscar Piastri struggled with pace, finishing 12th and 0.84 seconds adrift.
Lewis Hamilton ended the session fifth, 0.3 seconds off the lead, followed closely by George Russell in sixth, who was further 0.137 seconds behind. Yuki Tsunoda placed seventh, 0.491 seconds slower than Verstappen.
In the midfield, Fernando Alonso led the pack in eighth, finishing 0.546 seconds off the pace and narrowly beating Carlos Sainz. Lance Stroll completed the top ten, just 0.016 seconds behind Alonso.
The session concluded with Liam Lawson in 11th as the fastest Racing Bull driver, edging out Piastri, while Haas’s Esteban Ocon and teammate Isack Hadjar followed closely. Sauber drivers Gabriel Bortoleto and Nico Hulkenberg, who showed promise in FP1, finished 15th and 16th, both over 0.9 seconds off the pace. Oliver Bearman, Franco Colapinto, Alex Albon, and Pierre Gasly rounded out the time sheets, all struggling to match the leading speeds.
