Verstappen Dominates Mexican GP Practice as Piastri Struggles

Max Verstappen set a commanding pace in the second practice session for the Mexican Grand Prix, hinting at strong form despite being an outsider in the 2025 F1 title fight. While Verstappen topped the timesheets, championship leader Oscar Piastri finished outside the top 10, raising questions about McLaren's single-lap performance. The session also saw notable performances from Charles Leclerc and rookie Kimi Antonelli, with Mercedes showing promise.

Why it matters:

Max Verstappen, a dark horse in the 2025 F1 title race, demonstrated formidable pace in Mexico, reinforcing his momentum from recent victories. His strong showing could put pressure on championship leader Oscar Piastri, who struggled in practice, highlighting the intense competition as the season heads into its final five races. With a new floor upgrade, Red Bull's performance in Mexico could be a significant indicator of their championship aspirations.

The Details:

• Verstappen's Dominance: Max Verstappen recorded the fastest time of the weekend so far, a 1m17.392s, in FP2, besting FP1 pacesetter Charles Leclerc by over a tenth and a half. This was achieved on only one qualifying simulation lap.
• Red Bull Upgrade: Verstappen's Red Bull featured another floor upgrade, described as a "make-from" update, recycling a pre-existing design. Despite the strong lap time, Verstappen reported his car felt "terrible" and like "driving on ice" during long-run simulations.
• Leclerc's Consistency: Charles Leclerc, who participated in the rookie-heavy FP1, looked strong early in FP2, finishing second. His early immersion in the track conditions seemed to give him an edge.
• Antonelli's Surprise Performance: Mercedes' Kimi Antonelli secured third place, just 0.021s behind Leclerc. Despite reporting a "limp home" message and a truncated run plan, his later effort on softs was impressive.
• McLaren's Mixed Fortunes: McLaren's Lando Norris improved significantly to finish fourth, a quarter of a second behind Verstappen. However, Oscar Piastri failed to improve on his qualifying simulation, ending up 12th in the session. McLaren's long-run pace, particularly on soft tires, appeared stronger, though Piastri again seemed slower than Norris.
• Midfield Contenders: Lewis Hamilton (Ferrari), George Russell (Mercedes), and Yuki Tsunoda (Red Bull) followed Norris. Aston Martin's Fernando Alonso (eighth) and Lance Stroll (10th) sandwiched Carlos Sainz's Williams, indicating a potential buffer for these teams against the rest of the midfield.
• Albon's Incident: Alex Albon of Williams was 19th after clouting the wall exiting the final corner, disrupting what looked like a promising lap.

The Big Picture:

Verstappen's impressive Friday showing signals that Red Bull remains a strong contender, capable of challenging the championship leaders. Piastri's struggle in single-lap pace, while potentially offset by better long-run performance, will be a concern for McLaren heading into qualifying. The tight margins between the top teams and strong performances from drivers like Antonelli suggest a fiercely competitive weekend ahead in Mexico, with implications for the overall championship narrative.

What's Next:

Teams will now analyze their data from practice to fine-tune their setups for qualifying. The focus will be on resolving any reliability issues and optimizing both single-lap pace and race simulation performance. Expect an intense qualifying session as teams push for grid position, which is particularly crucial on the high-altitude Mexican circuit.