Verstappen Dominates Mexico City GP Practice; Piastri Struggles

Max Verstappen displayed formidable speed during the second practice session for the Mexico City Grand Prix, leading the pack ahead of Charles Leclerc by a margin of 0.153 seconds. The championship leader, Oscar Piastri, faced challenges and finished in 12th place, highlighting his ongoing difficulties as the season approaches its conclusion.

Verstappen, who opted out of the first practice session as many teams fielded rookie drivers, quickly found his rhythm on the track. His impressive lap time of 1:13.431 not only secured him the top spot but also illustrated Red Bull Racing’s dominance this weekend, particularly following their performance upgrade which included a revised floor design initially introduced at Monza.

In an unexpected turn, Kimi Antonelli from Mercedes overcame early technical issues to secure third place, while fellow competitor Lando Norris finished fourth, 0.251 seconds behind Verstappen. Piastri, the only title rival to participate in the earlier session, struggled to translate his additional track time into competitive speed, concluding the session 0.840 seconds off Verstappen’s pace.

The current championship standings show Verstappen trailing Piastri by 40 points with only five races remaining in the season. Norris is closely positioned, just 14 points behind his McLaren teammate, intensifying the competition among the top drivers.

As the session progressed, Yuki Tsunoda from AlphaTauri managed to secure seventh place, indicating a strong performance from the Red Bull affiliated teams. Tsunoda has generally struggled to break into the top ten during Friday practices this season, making this result noteworthy.

Former champion Lewis Hamilton set his best lap on the soft tires, finishing the session in fifth place, only three tenths behind Verstappen. Teammate George Russell, who briefly observed the first practice from the grandstands, placed sixth.

Aston Martin’s Fernando Alonso and Lance Stroll finished eighth and tenth respectively, while Carlos Sainz from Ferrari continued his solid form in ninth place. Notably, Alex Albon was the only driver to make contact with the barrier, clipping the outside wall at the final corner, but he emerged unscathed.

The excitement for the Mexico City Grand Prix continues as teams prepare for the final practice session later today, followed by qualifying. Fans can anticipate a fierce contest as Verstappen seeks to narrow the gap in the championship standings.

Looking ahead, the schedule for the remaining sessions is as follows:
– October 25, 2025: Practice Three at 18:30 (local time)
– Qualifying at 22:00 (local time)
– Race day on October 26, 2025: Grand Prix buildup at 18:30, with the race commencing at 20:00 (local time).

The competition remains tight as the teams gear up for what promises to be an exhilarating race weekend at the Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez, where the stakes are high and every lap counts.