The full 2026 F1 grid returned to action for FP2 at the Mexico City GP, following an opening practice session in which ten rookie drivers took to the Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez. With the regular drivers back behind the wheel, teams turned their attention towards qualifying preparations and longer runs ahead of the remainder of the weekend.
Having set the fastest time in FP1, a 1:18.128, Charlers Leclerc against topped the timesheets in FP2, finishing ahead of Lando Norris and George Russell.
Ferrari leads as Verstappen and Lawson collide in FP2 at the 2026 F1 Mexico City GP
Almost immediately, Oliver Bearman triggered the first yellow flag of the session after briefly stopping near Turns 2 and 3 with a technical issue. Meanwhile, his Haas teammate Esteban Ocon reported power-steering problems. Bearman subsequently returned to the pits, allowing the team to investigate the issue.
Gabriel Bortoleto’s FP2 had yet to begin, as Audi continued investigating a technical problem with his car. The weekend presented an additional challenge for the Brazilian, who had already surrendered his seat to F3 driver Freddie Slater during FP1. Meanwhile, Lando Norris locked up and ran onto the grass at Turn 1.
Ten minutes into the session, Ferrari returned to the top of the timesheets, with Leclerc leading Hamilton, Oscar Piastri, Norris and Antonelli after setting a 1:18.257.
However, with approximately 46 minutes remaining, Race Control issued the first red flag to remove debris from the circuit following contact between Liam Lawson and Max Verstappen.
The four-time World Champion made contact with the Racing Bulls driver during a wheel-to-wheel battle, damaging his Red Bull’s floor. Consequently, Verstappen returned to the pits for repairs, while the stewards investigated the incident.
Hamilton brings out VSC as Leclerc sets the pace
Running resumed with approximately 42 minutes remaining, allowing the drivers to continue their qualifying preparations. Norris, who had flat-spotted his medium tyres earlier in the session, switched to softs and briefly took the lead with a 1:18.161.
Meanwhile, Ferrari’s drivers began struggling with the car’s handling, with both Hamilton and Leclerc running over the kerbs.
However, Ferrari’s difficulties continued when Hamilton reported a loss of power and received instructions to stop his car on track with approximately 32 minutes remaining.
The incident triggered a Virtual Safety Car to allow marshals to recover the Ferrari, bringing Hamilton’s session to an early conclusion.
Once running resumed, Leclerc became the first driver of the weekend to break into the 1:17s on soft tyres, setting a 1:17.966. Norris, Antonelli and several other drivers also began improving during their qualifying simulations.
With approximately 25 minutes remaining, most drivers returned to the pits for tyre changes. Russell, still adapting to the Mexican circuit after sitting out FP1, moved into the top four.
However, track conditions continued to challenge the drivers. Piastri experienced a moment at Turn 17, almost sliding into the barriers before managing to regain control of his McLaren.
Further down the order, Bortoleto had yet to take to the track, while Verstappen remained in the garage as Red Bull continued working on his damaged floor.
Meanwhile, Russell improved to third on his next flying attempt, demonstrating Mercedes’ competitive single-lap pace.
Leclerc completes Friday sweep ahead of Norris and Russell
Aston Martin also showed signs of improvement, with Fernando Alonso running 12th, less than a second behind Leclerc.
Meanwhile, the stewards summoned Verstappen and Lawson following their earlier collision, which had brought out the session’s only red flag. Antonelli and Lance Stroll also ran over the kerbs as drivers continued struggling with the circuit’s grip levels.
Leclerc subsequently improved his benchmark to 1:17.827, confirming the strong pace Ferrari had already demonstrated in FP1. Arvid Lindblad and Pierre Gasly also enjoyed competitive sessions, running seventh and eighth respectively.
With approximately 20 minutes remaining, Verstappen finally returned to the track and climbed to fifth despite lingering floor damage.
Bortoleto eventually made his first appearance with just 12 minutes remaining. The Audi driver initially recorded a 1:21.916 on medium tyres before improving to 1:20.174, although he remained 22nd after losing most of the session to technical issues.
The closing minutes passed without further major interruptions as the drivers completed their race simulations and gathered valuable information ahead of Saturday’s running.
Ultimately, Leclerc topped FP2 at the 2026 F1 Mexico City GP with a 1:17.827, finishing 0.103 seconds ahead of Norris. Russell completed the top three, just 0.003 seconds behind the McLaren driver, while Antonelli and Verstappen rounded out the top five.
