Leclerc Leads Norris in Mexico FP2 as Verstappen-Lawson Contact Triggers Red Flag

Charles Leclerc led FP2 at the Mexico City Grand Prix with a 1:17.827 for Ferrari, edging Lando Norris by 0.103s and George Russell by 0.106s. The session was red-flagged after a bizarre Max Verstappen-Liam Lawson incident, while Lewis Hamilton stopped on track with a Ferrari issue.

Why it matters:

Leclerc’s margin is tiny, but it confirms Ferrari’s single-lap speed at a circuit where track position and tyre prep matter. With Norris and Russell within a tenth, qualifying looks set to be a four-team fight rather than a clear Ferrari advantage.

The details:

• Kimi Antonelli was fourth in the second Mercedes, with Verstappen fifth and Isack Hadjar sixth for Red Bull.
• Verstappen, held up through the stadium section, left the track and crowded Lawson on exit; contact scattered debris and triggered the red flag.
• Hamilton’s session ended early with a problem, leaving Ferrari with limited long-run data.
• Arvid Lindblad, Pierre Gasly and Lawson completed the top nine; Oscar Piastri was only 10th for McLaren.

What’s next:

Teams have little time to turn Friday data into qualifying pace. If the top four remain this close, track position and a clean final run will decide the Mexico City pole.