2026 Formula 1 Mexican GP
F1 Mexico GP: Follow FP3 in Mexico City with live timing
Updates from the final practice session of the Mexico City Grand Prix weekend
Live Standings
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Sainz has a lock-up into Turn 1, as did Bearman - his looked a bit heavier than the Spaniard's own 'effort'.
Russell isn't opening his lap just yet - he's doing a prep run, as it's very difficult to get heat into the tyres here. No real lateral load, other than perhaps through sector two - but even then, those turns aren't really corners.
Antonelli is also out on fresh softs.
Verstappen improves to seventh, after setting personal bests in the final two sectors, but doesn't look too pleased with his car.
Russell has now gone out on a set of softs, so the qualifying prep will surely begin now.
Of the top seven, all bar Norris are in the pit garages at the moment. Verstappen has returned to the circuit to shake down those changes made earlier on.
Lots of longer runs on the medium tyre, while Hirakawa, Alonso, Stroll, Bearman, and Bottas are doing some soft-tyre work.
And the timing data is back - which is good, because typing out the full results does take a bit too much time...
Hadjar gets up to fourth, so should be a happier bunny as he does a 1m18.506s on the mediums. Verstappen, meanwhile, is getting some fixes at the back of his car.
Hadjar calls his car "the worst I've driven this weekend", and the car didn't look easy to handle. He's been quite irate lately, hasn't he, as there seems to be something at the front end causing him grief.
Hirakawa moves up to 14th with a soft-tyre run, fresh soft tyres for the 32-year-old rookie. We should get a few more soft runs a little bit later on.
Leclerc moves back to the top with a 1m18.152s.
Antonelli improves and gets back into third, 0.228s behind Leclerc's benchmark.
Hadjar is see-sawing at the wheel of his Red Bull and drags his car up to eighth, as Verstappen stays sixth with his latest lap.
Hamilton then gets back up to top spot, posting a 1m18.162s. Leclerc, Antonelli, Piastri, Russell, Verstappen, Norris, Hadjar, Lawson, and Gasly are the current top 10.
Alonso is 11th over Colapinto, Lindblad, Stroll, Hulkenberg, Sainz, Hirakawa, Bearman, Albon, and Bottas is 20th. Bortoleto and Perez have not set times.
Leclerc goes back to the top with a 1m18.185s, still out on mediums. It looked a bit slidey through the final corner, but the Ferrari kept facing the right way.
Russell had a similar movement through Turn 12, as the circuit is still pretty low-grip.
Hamilton posts a 1m18.268s, as Piastri also sets a 1m18.575s to move up to second.
It's Hamilton, from Piastri, Antonelli, Leclerc, Verstappen, Norris, Russell, Gasly, Alonso, and Lawson for the top 10.
Leclerc now moves to the top of the charts with a 1m18.720s, 0.034s ahead of Antonelli. Hamilton does indeed lose that lap as he pings down the timing boards.
Norris has a slide through the Foro Sol, but gets up to third place to split the Mercedes pair.
Hadjar goes up to seventh, 0.759s off the pace.
Antonelli then sets a 1m18.658s to go to the top.
Russell gets up to second, 0.2s off Antonelli's best effort, as Hamilton goes third. Hamilton, of course, missed a chunk of FP2 with a power unit issue - and he went wide at Turn 12 on his latest lap, so he'll lose that.
Piastri is up to fourth, as Gasly improves and stays fifth.
Antonelli then posts a 1m18.754s on the medium. Still some time to find over yesterday - the 1m17.827s set by Charles Leclerc is the fastest lap of the weekend so far.
Lindblad is up to third, as Lawson - encumbered by a one-place grid penalty for his clash with Verstappen in FP2 - goes fourth fastest.
Alonso reports that there's something wrong with the engine, as he spins at Turn 1 under braking. The circuit is beginning to fill up now with activity.
It's Hulkenberg on that 1m19.874s, over Gasly, Colapinto, Hirakawa, and Bottas. Stroll has done a prep lap, as has Lawson.
Gasly, on the medium tyre, finds a purple first sector and then sets a 1m19.304s to go top.
Gasly sets a 1m19.903s to move closer to Hulkenberg, after a couple of track limits offences.
The Cadillacs have now joined the circuit in a slow start to the session - not many takers so far, as everyone has limited tyres available.
Hirakawa took a chunk of kerb in the opening corners and then got understeer into Turn 4, so the car vacillating between the under and oversteer moments.
Hulkenberg is continuing on, and has set a 1m19.874s to go quicker. His team-mate is in the garage, hoping a power unit fix can be found.
As it is, Hulkenberg has set a 1m20.572s as he does some runs on the soft, 0.3s up on Gasly, and Colapinto is a further tenth behind. Hirakawa has done a 1m22.487s as he acclimatises to the car.
We appear to have a wee problem with the live timing, so we'll do our best to keep you in the loop. Please stand by!
Hirakawa does a pit-lane drive-through, as he prepares himself with systems, start practice, et cetera.
"There is something wrong with my engine," Bortoleto reports - that side of the garage has been struggling with PU issues all weekend. The smoke coming out of the back also suggests there is an issue...
FP3 begins!
Bortoleto, Hirakawa, and Colapinto are first up on the circuit. As has been noted elsewhere on the corners of the internet, Ocon got into F1 by replacing a Rio (Haryanto) in 2016, and has now been replaced himself by a Ryo (Hirakawa).
But do either dance on the sand?
It appears that the graphics team couldn't quite get Hirakawa's shots into the intro sequence in time, but let's see if they have in qualifying.
FP3 coming up in a couple of minutes.
Why is Ocon out of a drive?
It's unclear what has gone on behind closed doors, but the suggestion is that there was a continued argument over Ocon's run plan in FP2. Ocon was heard to disagree with his engineer Laura Mueller over tyre choice. But that's only rumours, and one shall not speculate further.
What we do know that Ryo Hirakawa is in the car, and lots of hurrying ensued to film his intro insert and to get the right signage out - including the removal of Ocon's. The Sports Signage folks will have been working overtime!
Ryo Hirakawa, Haas F1 Team
Photo by: Simon Galloway / LAT Images via Getty Images
Verstappen, Lawson get grid drops for FP2 clash
Hadjar gets warning after paddock altercation
Isack Hadjar was summoned to the stewards after video footage showed him pushing a fan in the paddock. The fan was seen attempting to take a selfie with he and Hadjar, as Hadjar was walking through the paddock.
Although there is usually a financial penalty, Hadjar was given a warning due to the mitigating factors present - which the FIA detailed as follows:
This latter action by the driver is regarded as a breach of the regulations however in
mitigation of penalty the stewards considered the following matters (in accordance
with the guidelines provided in Appendix B of the FIA International Sporting Code):
a) The driver was reacting to an uninvited and rather aggressive action by another
person
b) The driver was endeavouring to make his way to the start of FP1 through a
congested area
c) The driver did not have sufficient security present
d) The guest was invading his personal space without his consent.
e) The general issue drivers have experienced moving through the paddock
Isack Hadjar, Red Bull Racing
Photo by: James Sutton / LAT Images via Getty Images
Friday practice analysis
Friday practice analysis
Ocon out, Hirakawa in
Esteban Ocon has been dropped by Haas for the weekend, with reserve driver Ryo Hirakawa in to make his debut. Hirakawa took part in FP1 for the team, so he's got experience of the car at this circuit.
No word on why Ocon was dropped, but it is not due to illness.
Haas drops Ocon for F1 Mexico GP
The Frenchman will be replaced by Haas reserve Ryo Hirakawa for the remainder of the Mexican weekend
Mexico City GP - FP3 coming up!
Hello everyone, and welcome back to our live coverage of F1's Mexico City Grand Prix! We've been through Friday, we've looked at the data - and it should be a very close weekend.
But before that, big news from the Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez...
George Russell, Mercedes
Photo by: Alex Bierens de Haan / LAT Images via Getty Images
