F1 Mexico GP: Leclerc pips McLaren and Mercedes to top FP2

Charles Leclerc completed a perfect Friday at the Mexico Grand Prix after topping the second Formula 1 practice session, in spite of Ferrari team-mate Lewis Hamilton retiring. 

The Monegasque topped FP1 with a 1m18.128s before lowering that to a 1m17.827s in FP2 at Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez, pipping McLaren’s Lando Norris in second.

Norris was one of 10 drivers to have handed their car to a ‘rookie’ in opening practice, but the entry list returned to normal for FP2, with it no surprise to see many out early for the second one-hour session.

All three tyre compounds were in use early on and medium-runner Hamilton initially set the pace with a 1m18.741s, 0.498s quicker than second-placed Piastri on hard rubber in his McLaren. 

But, like in FP1, track evolution made a significant difference at the low-grip circuit as Leclerc quickly lowered his team-mate’s benchmark by 0.484s to a 1m18.257s. 

That was done on medium tyres whereas quickest with the softs early on was sixth-placed Max Verstappen, who set a 1m19.312s before contributing to the 15th-minute red flag.

The Red Bull driver opted to go wheel to wheel with Racing Bulls’ Liam Lawson through the stadium sector and the rather excessive incident caused debris to fly onto the track.

So the session was halted for five minutes before green conditions returned and medium runner Kimi Antonelli quickly split the Ferrari pair with a 1m18.559s, 0.302s behind Leclerc.

But the Monegasque did subsequently appear set to stretch his advantage on soft tyres by going purple in the first two sectors, only to go wide through the stadium and abort his lap.

That cost him the lead as reigning world champion Norris, also now on softs, went top after 25 minutes with a 1m18.161s, moments before Leclerc locked up into Turn 1 and aborted yet another lap. 

Lando Norris, McLaren

Photo by: Steven Tee / LAT Images via Getty Images

Piastri then split the Ferrari duo with a 1m18.896s on softs, just as Hamilton started to lose power down the main straight before stopping at the Turn 3 exit after 28 minutes.

The seven-time world champion caused a brief VSC, before lap times tumbled further on the softs in the second half as Leclerc lowered the benchmark by 0.195s to a 1m17.966s.

Leclerc went better again on his next lap, a 1m17.827s, which was 0.103s quicker than second-placed Norris, who gave his MCL40 to Leonardo Fornaroli for FP1. 

But with 20 minutes remaining that marked the end of the soft-tyre laps as drivers started their high-fuel runs, though this came much to the dislike of outgoing Haas driver Esteban Ocon.

The Frenchman told race engineer Laura Mueller “don’t do that to me” when she suggested going onto medium rubber, a switch that still ended up happening. 

Regardless, the late high-fuel runs meant Leclerc remained the benchmark ahead of Norris’ 1m17.930s, which put the 26-year-old just 0.003s ahead of third-placed George Russell.

His Mercedes team-mate Antonelli finished one behind with a 1m18.044s, ahead of Verstappen (1m18.138s) in fifth and sixth-placed Isack Hadjar (1m18.237s) aboard the sister Red Bull.

Racing Bulls took seventh via rookie Arvid Lindblad (1m18.389s), while Alpine’s Pierre Gasly (1m18.407s), Lawson (1m18.455s) and Piastri (1m18.469s) respectively completed the top 10.

F1 Mexico GP results - FP2

FP2

All Stats

 

Cla	Driver	#		Chassis	Engine	Laps	Time	Interval	Tyres	km/h
1	C. Leclerc Ferrari	16		Ferrari	Ferrari	35	1'17.827		S	199.087
2	L. Norris McLaren	1		McLaren	Mercedes	33	+0.103 1'17.930	0.103	S	198.824
3	G. Russell Mercedes	63		Mercedes	Mercedes	31	+0.106 1'17.933	0.003	S	198.816
4	A. Antonelli Mercedes	12		Mercedes	Mercedes	33	+0.217 1'18.044	0.111	S	198.534
5	M. Verstappen Red Bull Racing	3		Red Bull	Red Bull	26	+0.311 1'18.138	0.094	S	198.295
6	I. Hadjar Red Bull Racing	6		Red Bull	Red Bull	31	+0.410 1'18.237	0.099	S	198.044
7	A. Lindblad Racing Bulls	41		RB	Red Bull	34	+0.562 1'18.389	0.152	S	197.660
8	P. Gasly Alpine	10		Alpine	Mercedes	33	+0.580 1'18.407	0.018	S	197.615
9	L. Lawson Racing Bulls	30		RB	Red Bull	32	+0.628 1'18.455	0.048	S	197.494
10	O. Piastri McLaren	81		McLaren	Mercedes	31	+0.642 1'18.469	0.014	S	197.458
11	L. Hamilton Ferrari	44		Ferrari	Ferrari	13	+0.685 1'18.512	0.043	S	197.350
12	F. Alonso Aston Martin Racing	14		Aston Martin	Honda	30	+0.769 1'18.596	0.084	S	197.139
13	E. Ocon Haas F1 Team	31		Haas	Ferrari	32	+0.947 1'18.774	0.178	S	196.694
14	O. Bearman Haas F1 Team	87		Haas	Ferrari	32	+1.022 1'18.849	0.075	S	196.507
15	N. Hulkenberg Audi	27		Audi	Audi	35	+1.196 1'19.023	0.174	S	196.074
16	F. Colapinto Alpine	43		Alpine	Mercedes	34	+1.305 1'19.132	0.109	S	195.804
17	C. Sainz Williams	55		Williams	Mercedes	28	+1.421 1'19.248	0.116	S	195.517
18	S. Perez Cadillac F1 Team	11		Cadillac	Ferrari	33	+1.579 1'19.406	0.158	S	195.128
19	A. Albon Williams	23		Williams	Mercedes	31	+1.751 1'19.578	0.172	S	194.707
20	L. Stroll Aston Martin Racing	18		Aston Martin	Honda	24	+1.804 1'19.631	0.053	S	194.577
21	V. Bottas Cadillac F1 Team	77		Cadillac	Ferrari	33	+2.338 1'20.165	0.534	S	193.281
22	G. Bortoleto Audi	5		Audi	Audi	12	+2.347 1'20.174	0.009	S	193.259
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