Verstappen and Lawson get grid drops after Mexico practice clash

MEXICO CITY, Oct 31 — Ferrari's Charles Leclerc dominated practice for the Mexico City Grand Prix in both sessions, recording the quickest lap in one minute and 17.827 seconds during the second session. The Monegasque driver outpaced McLaren's world champion Lando Norris by 0.103 seconds, with George Russell finishing third ahead of his Mercedes teammate and championship leader Kimi Antonelli.

The 20-year-old Antonelli, absent on Thursday due to illness, could become the sport's youngest champion and Italy's first since 1963 if he finishes in the top nine. Alternatively, he could secure the title if his two remaining rivals, Russell and Ferrari's seven-time champion Lewis Hamilton, fail to win. Leclerc's success in Mexico mirrored his performance at the US Grand Prix in Austin last weekend.

Meanwhile, Red Bull's four-time champion Max Verstappen, a record five-time winner in Mexico, placed fifth behind his teammate Isack Hadjar, who was involved in an early clash with Racing Bulls' Liam Lawson. Lawson's teammate Arvid Lindblad secured seventh place, followed by Alpine's Pierre Gasly, Lawson, and Oscar Piastri in the second McLaren.

Seven-time champion Hamilton struggled in 11th position due to a power failure that ended his running halfway through the session. The practice session commenced with Gasly leading Alpine teammate Franco Colapinto, followed by local hero Sergio Perez, who was set for his 300th race start. He was cautioned for a pit lane infringement.

The session was briefly halted after 15 minutes for debris clearance due to Verstappen's collision with Lawson, which damaged the Dutchman's bargeboard and required a Red Bull pit stop for repairs. The incident was flagged for investigation by the stewards. Ferrari took the lead in the early stages with Leclerc on top, followed by Norris in second during McLaren's comeback, before Hamilton lost power and pulled up on the straight, having just switched to softs.

This setback proved costly for the championship leader, who missed valuable learning time on softs while Leclerc regained the lead, followed by Norris, Russell, and Antonelli before the field transitioned to heavier fuel loads and medium tyres.