Leclerc Dominates Friday Practice in Mexico, Norris and Russell Close Gap

Charles Leclerc secured the top spot in both practice sessions on Friday in Mexico, although his lead diminished to just over a tenth of a second as Lando Norris and George Russell made significant gains in the second practice.

Leclerc clocked a time of 1m17.827s, finishing 0.103 seconds ahead of Norris, who recorded 1m17.930s, with Russell closely trailing at 1m17.933s. Championship leader Kimi Antonelli placed fourth with a time of 1m18.044s, 0.217 seconds off the pace.

Ferrari had a substantial lead in the first session, but the return of regular drivers after ten substitutes participated in FP1 resulted in a much tighter competition in the afternoon. The session experienced interruptions, including a red flag due to a collision between Max Verstappen and Liam Lawson, and a virtual safety car was deployed when Lewis Hamilton had to stop due to power loss. Hamilton's session ended prematurely, finishing 11th with a time of 1m18.512s.