Charles Leclerc maintained Ferrari’s strong start to the Mexico City Grand Prix weekend by setting the fastest time in Free Practice 2, completing a Friday double at the Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez. The Monegasque posted a best lap of 1:17.827 to finish 0.103 seconds clear of McLaren’s Lando Norris, while Lewis Hamilton’s session ended prematurely with a power unit problem.

George Russell finished third for Mercedes, just 0.003 seconds behind Norris, with team-mate Kimi Antonelli fourth. Max Verstappen completed the top five for Red Bull Racing, 0.311 seconds off Leclerc’s benchmark, while Isack Hadjar finished sixth.

Following a disrupted opening practice session, FP2 offered a valuable opportunity for teams to gather additional data, particularly for those whose running had been limited by the number of rookie drivers taking part earlier in the day. With track conditions still evolving and grip levels relatively low, the opening minutes saw several drivers head straight out to build up their mileage.

Arvid Lindblad briefly occupied the top of the timing screens with a 1:20.275, before Hadjar moved ahead with a 1:19.584 set on Medium tyres. Hamilton then demonstrated Ferrari’s pace on the medium compound, setting a 1:18.741 to take provisional first place.

Leclerc soon bettered that effort, posting a 1:18.257 on the same tyre to move to the top of the order. However, the session was not without its problems. Ollie Bearman, who had required an engine change following a smoky end to FP1, briefly pulled off at Turn 2 before returning to the pits. Audi also encountered difficulties, with Gabriel Bortoleto remaining in the garage while his team investigated an issue with his car.

There was further drama in the stadium section when Verstappen and Liam Lawson made contact, damaging the Red Bull’s bargeboard. The incident interrupted the flow of the session and left Verstappen running with visible damage, while both drivers are set to be investigated by the stewards after the session.

As the field switched to Soft tyres for qualifying simulations, Norris initially struggled to complete a clean flying lap but eventually went fastest with a 1:18.161. Leclerc was just behind but the Monegasque clattered over the kerbs at the end of the lap amnd lost his opener and then locked up into Turn 1 on his next attempt.

Hamilton briefly threatened to challenge at the front, producing a particularly strong middle sector, but his afternoon came to an abrupt end when he reported losing power at Turn 13. The seven-time World Champion was instructed to stop his Ferrari and pulled over between Turns 3 and 4, prompting a Virtual Safety Car while his car was recovered.

Leclerc eventually found a clean lap and moved back into first place with a 1:17.966 before improving further to 1:17.827. Antonelli moved into second, while Russell also climbed the order as Mercedes completed its Soft-tyre runs. Norris ultimately secured second, with Russell just three thousandths behind him.

Verstappen, meanwhile, managed to climb to fifth despite the damage sustained in his earlier contact with Lawson. His 1:18.138 left him 0.311 seconds behind Leclerc, with team-mate Hadjar another tenth further back in sixth. Lindblad impressed to finish seventh for Racing Bulls, ahead of Pierre Gasly and Lawson, while Oscar Piastri completed the top 10.

With approximately 15 minutes remaining, attention turned towards longer running as teams began evaluating their tyre performance and gathering race-relevant data. Most opted for a mixture of medium and soft compounds, with the medium tyre appearing to offer encouraging durability around the relatively low lateral-load circuit.

Bortoleto finally emerged following extensive repairs to his Audi, managing to complete 12 laps, while Hamilton's Ferrari remained out of action. The Brazilian nevertheless finished at the bottom of the classification, with Cadillac's Valtteri Bottas just ahead.

2026 FIA Formula 1 Mexico City Grand Prix – Free Practice 2
1 Charles Leclerc Ferrari 1:17.827 35 199.087
2 Lando Norris McLaren/Mercedes 1:17.930 0.103 33 198.824
3 George Russell Mercedes 1:17.933 0.106 31 198.816
4 Kimi Antonelli Mercedes 1:18.044 0.217 33 198.534
5 Max Verstappen Red Bull/Red Bull Ford 1:18.138 0.311 26 198.295
6 Isack Hadjar Red Bull/Red Bull Ford 1:18.237 0.410 31 198.044
7 Arvid Lindblad Racing Bulls/Red Bull Ford 1:18.389 0.562 34 197.660
8 Pierre Gasly Alpine/Mercedes 1:18.407 0.580 33 197.615
9 Liam Lawson Racing Bulls/Red Bull Ford 1:18.455 0.628 32 197.494
10 Oscar Piastri McLaren/Mercedes 1:18.469 0.642 31 197.458
11 Lewis Hamilton Ferrari 1:18.512 0.685 13 197.350
12 Fernando Alonso Aston Martin/Honda 1:18.596 0.769 30 197.139
13 Esteban Ocon Haas/Ferrari 1:18.774 0.947 32 196.694
14 Oliver Bearman Haas/Ferrari 1:18.849 1.022 32 196.507
15 Nico Hülkenberg Audi 1:19.023 1.196 35 196.074
16 Franco Colapinto Alpine/Mercedes 1:19.132 1.305 34 195.804
17 Carlos Sainz Williams/Mercedes 1:19.248 1.421 28 195.517
18 Sergio Pérez Cadillac/Ferrari 1:19.406 1.579 33 195.128
19 Alexander Albon Williams/Mercedes 1:19.578 1.751 31 194.707
20 Lance Stroll Aston Martin/Honda 1:19.631 1.804 24 194.577
21 Valtteri Bottas Cadillac/Ferrari 1:20.165 2.338 33 193.281
22 Gabriel Bortoleto Audi 1:20.174 2.347 12 193.259