Max Verstappen Tops FP2 at Mexico City Grand Prix Ahead of Leclerc and Antonelli

Mexico City, October 25, 2025:
Max Verstappen continued his strong run of form by setting the fastest time in Free Practice 2 for the 2025 FIA Formula 1 Mexico City Grand Prix, leading Charles Leclerc and Mercedes rookie Kimi Antonelli at the Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez.

The Red Bull Racing driver, fresh from victory at the United States Grand Prix, posted a best lap of 1:17.392, edging Leclerc by 0.153 seconds. Antonelli impressed in third for Mercedes, while Lando Norris recovered from a tricky opening run to secure fourth. His McLaren teammate and title rival Oscar Piastri finished 12th after sitting out FP1.

Early Issues and Tight Margins

The session began with Antonelli encountering an early issue on his Mercedes, forcing him to limp back to the pits. Once resolved, the Italian quickly went fastest with a 1:19.444 before improving to 1:18.669 on Medium tyres. Norris, returning to the cockpit after Pato O’Ward’s FP1 outing, was briefly second but reported misfire concerns.

Leclerc soon took control, setting a 1:17.545 lap on Softs to top the timesheets ahead of Norris and Hamilton, who had replaced Antonio Fuoco after Ferrari’s FP1 running. Verstappen, who handed his car to Arvid Lindblad earlier in the day, waited until the qualifying simulations to make his move — delivering a near-perfect lap to reclaim top spot.

Strong Runs for Antonelli and Hamilton

Antonelli’s late surge put him third overall, just 0.174s behind Verstappen, underlining his growing confidence in the Mercedes. Hamilton was fifth, closely followed by teammate George Russell, making it three Mercedes-powered cars in the top six.

Behind them, Yuki Tsunoda put in another solid display for Red Bull in seventh, while Fernando Alonso led Aston Martin’s charge in eighth. Carlos Sainz, now driving for Williams, impressed with ninth, narrowly ahead of teammate Lance Stroll, who rounded out the top ten.

Piastri Struggles for Grip

McLaren’s Oscar Piastri, who sits atop the championship standings, opted against a second Soft tyre run and finished 12th behind Liam Lawson (Racing Bulls). Teams spent the final portion of FP2 gathering long-run data, with Pirelli’s C2, C4, and C5 compounds offering varied degradation and grip levels — critical for Sunday’s race strategy.

2025 FIA Formula 1 Mexico City Grand Prix – Free Practice 2 Results