The key facts

  • Leclerc was fastest in both Friday practices in Mexico City — for the second race weekend in a row
  • Antonelli can become champion if he finishes in the top 9 or if Russell and Hamilton fail to win
  • Verstappen damaged his car in a collision with Lawson; the incident has been referred to the stewards

Leclerc fastest again, repeating his Austin success

Ferrari driver Charles Leclerc dominated Friday free practice at the Mexican Grand Prix, setting the fastest time in both sessions — just as he did last week in Austin at the United States Grand Prix, AFP reports. In the second session, the Monegasque clocked a lap of 1 minute 17.827 seconds, beating world champion and McLaren driver Lando Norris by 0.103 seconds. Third was George Russell of Mercedes, who outpaced his teammate — championship leader Kimi Antonelli.

Antonelli close to a historic title

The 20-year-old Antonelli missed Thursday while recovering from a viral infection, but he has kept his chances of clinching the title early. If he finishes in the top 9 on Sunday, he will become the youngest champion in Formula 1 history and the first Italian since 1963. The title will also be his if both of his remaining rivals — Russell and seven-time champion Lewis Hamilton of Ferrari — fail to win the race.

Verstappen and Lawson collision

Max Verstappen, a four-time champion and record five-time winner of the Mexican Grand Prix, set the fifth-fastest time, but early in the session he collided with Racing Bulls driver Liam Lawson, who damaged the side of his car. Red flags appeared 15 minutes after the start to clear debris in the Foro Sol sector; according to AFP's assessment, the actions of the frustrated Dutchman looked excessively aggressive and required repairs in the Red Bull garage. The incident was noted by the stewards and referred for review. Hamilton was only 11th: a power unit failure midway through the session cut his run short right after he switched to soft tyres, depriving him of valuable time to study them. Pierre Gasly, who led early in the session, ended up seventh, while local hero Sergio Perez of Cadillac — preparing for his 300th career start, the seventh such milestone in history — immediately received a warning for a pit lane violation.