Max Verstappen tops second F1 Mexico GP practice as Oscar Piastri struggles in 12th

Max Verstappen continued his dominant Formula 1 title charge by going fastest in the second F1 Mexico GP practice as championship leader Oscar Piastri struggled to make the top ten.

The reigning world champion made a highly impactful return to the track after sitting out the first practice session as part of Red Bull’s rookie driver program and immediately stamped his authority by topping the timesheets with a blistering lap of 1:17.392.

Verstappen’s blistering pace came as a courtesy of aerodynamic improvements on the Red Bull RB21, sending a clear message to his rivals as he pursues his fifth consecutive Formula 1 World Championship

From the very start, the session was a mixture of strategy, adaptation to the challenging conditions at the iconic Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez, and a test of both outright pace and race simulations.

Mexico City’s high altitude, thin air and low grip levels always pose unique challenges, but the drivers and teams came prepared, eager to extract as much data and performance as possible during the crucial 60-minute session.

The session began with many teams focusing on longer runs with heavier fuel loads to gather valuable race simulation data, before switching to lighter fuel loads for flying laps towards the latter part of FP2.

Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc dominated the early running after setting a formidable benchmark of 1:18.353, leading temporarily ahead of McLaren’s Lando Norris and his teammate Lewis Hamilton.

However, as the track evolved and more rubber was laid down, Max Verstappen produced a stunning lap of 1:17.392, which held firm as the fastest lap by the session’s conclusion.

Full 2025 F1 Mexico City Grand Prix FP2 Results

Charles Leclerc tops F1 Mexico GP FP1, Arvid Lindblad fastest among rookies

Leclerc had to settle for second, just 0.153 seconds off Verstappen’s benchmark, with Mercedes’ rookie sensation Kimi Antonelli following in third despite battling some technical issues early in the session.

Antonelli’s struggles involved a brief loss of power due to a ‘limp mode’ on his Mercedes W16 which was resolved after a system reset and pit stop, allowing him to return to competitive running and post the third fastest lap, only 0.174 seconds behind Verstappen.

Lando Norris placed fourth, putting McLaren in a respectable position, albeit a full quarter of a second slower than Verstappen and indicating the team’s ongoing work to improve race pace.

However, his championship leading teammate Oscar Piastri endured a disappointing second F1 Mexico GP practice with his fastest lap only good for 12th, almost a full second behind Verstappen.

Piastri’s lap was compromised by minor errors through the middle sector, frustrating both him and his team as he sought better balance ahead of qualifying.

Ferrari’s Lewis Hamilton managed to take fifth place, finishing just three-tenths of a second off the benchmark.

Mercedes’ George Russell was sixth, around four-tenths adrift, showing the team’s promising pace but also hinting at some possible room for improvement compared to their top challengers.

Meanwhile, Verstappen’s teammate at Red Bull Yuki Tsunoda followed in seventh place. Tsunoda’s consistency in FP2 underscored Red Bull’s dominance as a team, balancing pace and tyre management.

Aston Martin impressed with Fernando Alonso and Lance Stroll finishing eighth and tenth, respectively, with Williams’ Carlos Sainz splitting the pair in ninth place, narrowly beating Stroll by mere hundredths of a second.

Racing Bulls’ Liam Lawson and Isack Hadjar showed solid pace in 11th and 14th with McLaren’s Piastri and Haas’ Esteban Ocon slotting in between the duo.

Kick Sauber’s Gabriel Bortoleto and Nico Hulkenberg in 15th and 16th, with Alpine’s Franco Colapinto and Pierre Gasly struggling toward the back in 18th and 20th positions, respectively.

Williams’ Alexander Albon slotted in at 19th after clipping the barriers in a minor incident that hampered his session.

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