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Ferrari driver Charles Leclerc set the pace during Friday practice at the Mexico City Grand Prix, finishing ahead of McLaren’s Lando Norris. Mercedes driver Kimi Antonelli, who stands on the verge of clinching his maiden world title on Sunday, ended the day fourth fastest.
Practice Times and Championship Scenarios
Leclerc dominated both practice sessions on Friday, clocking a time 0.103 seconds faster than Norris. Mercedes driver George Russell placed third, just 0.003 seconds behind Norris. Antonelli finished 0.217 seconds off the pace, slotting in just ahead of the Red Bull cars driven by Max Verstappen and Isack Hadjar.
Antonelli can secure the championship on Sunday unless either Russell or Ferrari’s Lewis Hamilton wins the race. Even in the event of a victory by Russell or Hamilton, Antonelli only requires a ninth-place finish if Russell wins, or 10th if Hamilton takes the victory.
Hamilton encountered trouble during his running, finishing 11th overall after a technical issue forced him to stop on track before he could complete his qualifying simulations on the soft tyres.
Incidents and Steward Investigations
Further down the order, Oscar Piastri rounded out the top 10 for McLaren. Behind Hadjar, Racing Bulls teammates Arvid Lindblad and Liam Lawson finished either side of Pierre Gasly’s Alpine.
Verstappen and Lawson were summoned to see the stewards following an on-track collision in the stadium section early in the session. Verstappen criticized his rival’s actions during the incident.
Max Verstappen said, “I don’t think it’s called unlucky. Maybe not very smart behaviour what he was trying to do there. At the end of the day it is not going to change my weekend, but if I were him I would act a little smarter and when you’re fighting for your seat it’s not very smart behaviour.”
Lawson is currently battling for one of two available seats at the Red Bull junior team, Racing Bulls, for next year. He faces competition from current teammate Lindblad and Bulgarian Formula 2 competitor Nikola Tsolov.
Verstappen added, “When he saw me coming, he suddenly started to accelerate. I don’t know what was going through his head, that he wanted to drive me off the track in the hairpin. That’s not very sensible behavior from someone in his position, to pick a fight with me.”
Rookie Runouts and Superlicence Hurdles
The opening practice session featured rookie drivers in 10 of the 11 team entries. Among them was IndyCar race winner Colton Herta, whom Cadillac is evaluating for a race seat to replace Valtteri Bottas next season.
Cadillac initially believed Herta’s running in Mexico accumulated enough points under the Formula 1 system to qualify for a superlicence. However, subsequent checks by the FIA showed the American driver remains one point short and must participate in another practice session later this year.
Cadillac intends to provide Herta with that additional practice session before the current season concludes.
