Charles Leclerc, USA News (Mexico City): The 2026 Mexico City Grand Prix began with Charles Leclerc as the protagonist. The Scuderia Ferrari driver set the fastest time of the day by recording 1:17.827 minutes during the second free practice session held at the Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez.
The Monegasque driver, a winner of nine Grands Prix, had a consistent Friday and topped both training sessions. In FP2, he completed 34 laps of the 4.304-kilometer capital circuit, confirming Ferrari’s strong performance on the first day of activities. Lando Norris of McLaren finished second, 0.103 seconds behind Leclerc, while George Russell placed Mercedes in third position, 0.106 seconds off the Ferrari’s time.
Kimi Antonelli, the championship leader, concluded fourth, followed by Max Verstappen, Isack Hadjar, Arvid Lindblad, Pierre Gasly, Liam Lawson, and Oscar Piastri, who rounded out the top ten. One of the notable highlights of the day was the participation of 22 cars on track—unprecedented in the new era of Formula 1 in Mexico—thanks to the addition of Cadillac as the eleventh team. Sergio Perez finished in 18th position, while his teammate Valtteri Bottas occupied 21st place.
The day also brought a setback for Lewis Hamilton, who lost a good portion of the second practice due to a power issue that forced him to stop his Ferrari on the track.
Ferrari Sets the Pace, but the Battle Remains Open
Initial lap times point to a battle among Ferrari, Mercedes, Red Bull, and McLaren for the front positions of the grid. According to Formula 1 performance analysis, Ferrari showed a significant advantage in qualifying simulations and particularly in the slow corners of the Mexican circuit. However, the precedent from Austin calls for caution: Leclerc also dominated practice in the United States, but Ferrari failed to convert that performance into pole position.
Mercedes showed arguments to compete, with Russell third and Antonelli fourth. The young Italian, who could become the youngest champion in the category’s history this Sunday, returned to action after feeling unwell during previous days. Meanwhile, Red Bull has work ahead. Max Verstappen had a contact with Liam Lawson during FP2 that caused damage to the floor of his car, complicating the evaluation of the team’s true pace throughout the session.
McLaren also left positive impressions after a difficult weekend in Austin, with Norris placing among the fastest.
Supporting Categories and Saturday Schedule
Friday’s activity also included supporting categories. In Gran Turismo Mexico, Salvador de Alba secured pole position for the first race, while Emiliano Richards will head the starting grid for the second competition. In FIA NACAM Formula 4, Oliver Trejo recorded the best time with 1:46.860 minutes, followed by Alan Zezatti and Marco Alquicira. Additionally, the Master Historic category allowed fans to enjoy the sound and presence of historic single-seaters from various eras of Formula 1.
Activity at the Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez continues on Saturday, October 31. The schedule begins at 9:25 hours with Formula 4 qualifying. Formula 1 returns to the track at 11:30 hours for the third free practice session (FP3), while the qualifying session to define the starting grid for the Mexico City Grand Prix is scheduled for 15:00 hours.
