Leclerc fastest in Mexico GP practice as Verstappen and Lawson collide
Charles Leclerc topped the second practice session for the 2026 Mexican Grand Prix, while Max Verstappen and teammate Liam Lawson were involved in a collision that halted the session.
Charles Leclerc set the fastest time in the second practice session for the 2026 Mexican Grand Prix, keeping Ferrari ahead despite two off-track excursions. He posted a best lap of 1:17.827, edging McLaren driver Lando Norris by 0.103 seconds.
The session was disrupted when Red Bull driver Max Verstappen, who had skipped the first practice, collided with teammate Liam Lawson. After Verstappen dived inside at Turn 12, the two cars made contact at Turn 14, damaging Verstappen’s left-hand bargeboard and prompting a red-flag stoppage.
When the track reopened, championship leader Kimi Antonelli attempted a final run on medium tyres, briefly matching Leclerc’s pace before being held up by Pierre Gasly’s Alpine. Mercedes driver George Russell recorded the third-fastest time, just 0.003 seconds slower than Norris.
Verstappen returned to the damaged Red Bull and posted the fifth-fastest time, while teammate Isack Hadjar completed the top six. The top ten also featured Arvid Lindblad’s Racing Bulls, Gasly’s Alpine, Lawson’s Racing Bulls and Oscar Piastri’s McLaren.
Lewis Hamilton suffered an engine problem that ended his run early, leaving him 11th overall, narrowly ahead of Fernando Alonso’s Aston Martin.