Hirakawa replaces Ocon for Mexico City Grand Prix

As the Mexico City Grand Prix weekend kicks off, practice session FP3 gets underway. Kimi Antonelli of Mercedes has the potential to become the youngest-ever F1 world champion, while Ferrari's Charles Leclerc appears to be the frontrunner so far. Leclerc topped the timing charts in both Friday's practice sessions, finishing a tenth ahead of McLaren's Lando Norris and Mercedes' George Russell.

However, Leclerc's teammate Lewis Hamilton faced an early end to his second practice due to power unit issues at the high-altitude Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez, finishing P11 after completing only 13 laps. The most significant incident of FP2 was the collision between Red Bull drivers Max Verstappen and Liam Lawson in the stadium section of the circuit.

Verstappen finished slightly behind Leclerc in P5, while Lawson's bargeboard was damaged. Following the incident, both drivers received a one-place grid penalty and an extra penalty point from the FIA stewards for the unnecessary and clumsy collision. The focus remains on Antonelli, who needs just two points to secure the title on Sunday.

However, he could also become champion without scoring any points if neither Russell nor Hamilton win the race. Mercedes and Ferrari could secure the constructors' title at the Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez if they outperform each other by at least 39 points.