Max Verstappen threw down the gauntlet in second practice for the Mexico City Grand Prix, setting a 17.392 that put him three-quarters of a tenth ahead of Charles Leclerc. The four-time champion and five-time winner at the Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez has over the last four rounds and is the favourite for victory.
Red Bull is the only team with a performance upgrade this weekend as they brought a revised version of their Monza floor, which marked the start of Verstappen’s championship charge in early September. Verstappen, who is looking to emulate Michael Schumacher’s record of five consecutive titles, has converted three pole positions from the last four races into victory to ignite an incredible turnaround.
Red Bull’s lack of race pace during the European races in the summer was their biggest deficit to McLaren, and Verstappen warned he needs to find something on the long runs after it felt like “driving on ice”.
Verstappen, forty points off championship leader Piastri after a run of three wins and a second place in the past four races, set the pace, leading Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc by a tenth and a half. Norris was fourth fastest, while Piastri, fourteen points ahead of his teammate, was down in twelfth. Kimi Antonelli put his Mercedes third two hundredths behind the Ferrari and ahead of Norris by three-quarters of a tenth.
But it wasn’t trouble free for the Italian; early on he was forced to “limp home” because of an issue with his Mercedes. Norris was a half a tenth ahead of Lewis Hamilton, with George Russell around a tenth and a quarter further behind as he led his fellow Englishman.
But highlighting how close the field appears to be this weekend, Hamilton’s best lap in fifth was only three tenths off pole.
McLaren go into this weekend looking to rediscover a bit of form after they won the constructors in Singapore, they have been under growing pressure from Verstappen has charged his way into the championship. No more than Piastri, who has been struggling more than his teammate.
Yuki Tsunoda put his Red Bull seventh going just over half a tenth behind Russell as he went ahead of Fernando Alonso by the same margin. The Aston Martin driver was just a thousandth ahead of his fellow Spaniard Carlos Sainz, who managed to split the Aston Martins as Lance Stroll was just over a quarter of a tenth faster, to complete the top ten.
Alex Albon was the only driver to touch the barrier as he glanced the outside wall at the final corner, he was nineteenth as he split the two Alpine’s. The British-Thai driver was just over a tenth and a quarter behind Franco Colapinto, ahead of Pierre Gasly by four tenths.
