Leclerc sweeps Mexico City Friday practice as Hamilton hits power trouble

Charles Leclerc completed a second straight Friday practice sweep, leading FP2 for the Mexico City Grand Prix with a 1m17.827s soft-tyre lap. Lewis Hamilton’s session ended early with a power failure, while Max Verstappen triggered a red flag after contact with Liam Lawson.

Why it matters:

Leclerc’s pace confirms Ferrari’s single-lap speed at altitude, but Austin showed Friday form does not guarantee weekend control. Hamilton’s reliability setback leaves Ferrari with less data as it weighs qualifying and race trade-offs.

The details:

• Lando Norris was second, 0.096s behind Leclerc, with George Russell third just 0.003s further back.
• Hamilton stopped after Turn 4 complaining of a power problem, costing him over 30 minutes and causing a VSC.
• Verstappen dived inside Lawson at Turn 12; contact at Turn 14 damaged Lawson’s front wing and scattered debris.
• Verstappen sat out FP1 for Ayumu Iwasa, while 10 rookies ran in the opening session.

What’s next:

Ferrari must diagnose Hamilton’s power unit before FP3, with Leclerc’s margin small enough that Norris and Russell remain firmly in the fight.