Formula 1: Articles & News Reports.

[Fortitude]

Verstappen wants perfection ahead of Mexico Grand Prix.
“We need to keep having perfect weekends to fight for the Championship, so it is important to hit the ground running in Mexico." - Max Verstappen.
23 Oct 2025
Drew Murphy
GPblog.com

Both Max Verstappen and Yuki Tsunoda are raring to begin racing in Mexico City. Verstappen has shortened the gap between himself and Championship leader Oscar Piastri to just 40 points. The Dutchman knows he needs more perfect weekends like in Austin to claim his fifth World Drivers Championship.

He said: "We have gained a lot of positive momentum over the past few races, and we want to keep pushing and extracting as much performance out of the car as we can, and the Team have been working hard to do this. We need to keep having perfect weekends to fight for the Championship, so it is important to hit the ground running in Mexico."

After achieving a seventh-place finish at the United States Grand Prix, Tsunoda is hoping to showcase his talent ahead of Red Bull’s driver line-up decision for next year. Tsunoda said: “I’m coming to Mexico ready to fight for the points again. I had a good few days between Austin and Mexico, visiting Los Angeles, a place I had never been before. The aim is to have a consistent weekend overall and if I can do that I put myself in the position to score better points for the Team and be racing nearer the top of the grid, where we should be."

‘Raring to begin racing in Mexico City’;

https://www.gpblog.com/en/news/verst...ico-grand-prix


Another Verstappen stronghold? The recent history of the Mexico City GP
10212025
Ben McCarthy
Sporting News

A Verstappen stronghold: Max Verstappen has won this race five times, regardless of whether the event was labelled the 'Mexico' or 'Mexico City' Grand Prix. Yet only one of those wins has come from pole position. In 2017 and '18, he passed the polesitters of those races, Sebastian Vettel in the former and Red Bull team-mate Daniel Ricciardo in the latter, by the first braking zone and never looked back.

In 2021, he did the same thing, but with an outrageous late-braking overtake on the two Silver Arrows, including his then-championship rival Lewis Hamilton. And 2023 was no different; he started from third but passed the two Ferraris in a heartbeat. In fact, Verstappen has led this race after the first lap every time since 2021, and has led the first tour in six in the last seven races at Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez. Although he seized the lead on the first tour of last year's race, the worrying pace of the RB21, coupled with two 10-second penalties, set him back to sixth place.

‘Verstappen has led this race after the first lap every time since 2021’;

https://www.sportingnews.com/uk/form...1fab9f75e8e47f


Max previews Mexico Grand Prix: 'Tends to suit our car'
23 October 2025
Niels Hendrix
Verstappen.nl

Max Verstappen has travelled from Austin, where he won the race, to Mexico City for the upcoming Grand Prix. The Dutchman says: “We have gained a lot of positive momentum over the past few races and we want to keep pushing and extracting as much performance out of the car as we can and the team have been working hard to do this.”

Max adds: “We need to keep having perfect weekends to fight for the championship, so it is important to hit the ground running in Mexico. The circuit tends to suit our car and it will be all about managing our tyres and the grip. Of course, the high altitude always brings unique challenges, decreasing the air density, which will be affecting everyone. Mexico is always a fun party atmosphere, so it will be exciting to round up the double header there.”

'Tends to suit our car';

https://news.verstappen.com/en/article/5986/


Verstappen tight-lipped looking ahead: 'That's the beauty of it!'
22 Oct 2025
Kada Sarkozi
GPblog.com

While Max Verstappen did not go into details, Lando Norris shared more about his expectations for the Mexico City Grand Prix. The Dutchman remained tight-lipped about the upcoming event. He said: "Well, the beauty of it is we'll find out next week. I don't really think about it. We'll find out next week. We could speculate, but I don't like that."

Norris expects a close battle between McLaren and Red Bull, though he believes other teams could also be in the mix. The Briton added: "Probably the same as here. I don’t think it’ll change that much. It’s close between us and Red Bull — one weekend they're a little bit quicker, the next we’re a little bit faster. You know, Mercedes was quickest in Singapore. So, yes, you can have many different things here, but we’re going to see."

'That's the beauty of it!';

https://www.gpblog.com/en/news/verst...e-beauty-of-it


Start time for the 2025 F1 Mexican Grand Prix - Mexico City
The F1 season continues this weekend with the 2025 F1 Mexican Grand Prix. Don't miss any of the action and check out all the session start times for the weekend here.
23 October 2025
RacingNews365 Staff
RacingNews365

The schedule for the 2025 F1 Mexico City GP is automatically adjusted to your time zone.
F1 schedule Mexican GP
Session
Date Time
Free practice 1 Friday 24 October 20:30 - 21:30
Free practice 2 Saturday 25 October 00:00 - 01:00
Free practice 3 Saturday 25 October 19:30 - 20:30
Qualification Saturday 25 October 23:00 - 23:59
Race Sunday 26 October 21:00 - 23:00

‘Start times’;

https://racingnews365.com/start-time...ix-mexico-city


Will the rain impact the title fight? Full Mexico GP weather breakdown
22 Oct 2025
Samson Ero
GPblog.com

Formula 1 heads to Mexico City for the next stop on the 2025 calendar. The title race is finely poised, but could the weather conditions influence the outcome? Here is the weather forecast for the race weekend.

Friday, October 24 – FP1 & FP2
Friday will witness the first round of on-track action and is expected to be dry, albeit with a 40% chance of rain. The temperature for the first practice session is forecast at 23°C, while the second practice session is expected to reach 25°C.

Saturday, October 25 – FP3 & Qualifying
The second day of on-track action will feature a temperature of 24°C for the third practice session and 25°C during qualifying, with a 20% chance of rain.
Sunday, October 26 – Grand Prix
Sunday’s race is expected to be drier, with a 20% chance of rain. The race temperature is forecast at 25°C.

‘Weather forecast for the race weekend’;

https://www.gpblog.com/en/news/will-...ther-breakdown

[Fortitude]

McLaren holds thorough Oscar Piastri car checks ahead of Mexican Grand Prix.
…checking that Oscar Piastri’s car was not hamstrung by an unidentified problem over the United States Grand Prix weekend.
23 Oct 2025
Oliver Harden
PlanetF1.com

Andrea Stella, the McLaren team principal admitted that identifying the cause of Piastri’s poor pace was a priority after the United States Grand Prix weekend, with McLaren holding a thorough check of his MCL39 to rule out a potential car issue.

He told PlanetF1.com and other media outlets: “This is certainly one of the most important points that we need to review, which is the fact that Oscar, in qualifying and in the race, seemed to have a couple of tenths that he was not able to fully realise and that possibly was available in the car.

“We are actually now checking that we are completely happy with the setup of the car, the setup of the floor, that everything is as intended from a car point of view.”

‘Thorough Oscar Piastri car checks’;

https://www.planetf1.com/news/mclare...en-alarm-bells


Mekies expects wide-open battle for Mexican GP victory
23 Oct 2025
Ben Winship
GPblog.com

Red Bull Racing Team Principal Laurent Mekies believes four teams will potentially be in with a chance of winning the Mexican GP this weekend. Mekies expects Red Bull, McLaren, Mercedes and Ferrari all to be in and around the podium positions as F1 heads to Mexico City’s Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez.

Red Bull have enjoyed a significant turnaround in form in recent times and Max Verstappen dominated the United States GP weekend last time out with a maximum haul of 33 points across both the sprint and Sunday’s Grand Prix. In spite of Red Bull’s form, Mekies has underplayed the chances of another Verstappen whitewash when speaking after the United States GP.

“You know, we certainly feel three or four teams can win the race.” He continued: “And today, they [Ferrari] were battling with us. They were battling with McLaren. They took some points out of McLaren. They could have taken some points out of us. So yes, we see them in the game, absolutely.”

‘Wide-open battle’;

https://www.gpblog.com/en/news/mekie...can-gp-victory


‘Don’t crash into each other’—Piastri reveals plan ahead of crucial Mexico City Grand Prix
23 Oct 2025
Peter Maniaty
Sporting News

Asked if his ‘clean slate’ comment meant the repercussions given to Norris after their lap one incident in Singapore had been lifted, the Australian nodded. “Yes, the consequences on Lando’s side have been removed, there were a lot of factors involved, but ultimately that’s what’s been decided,” Piastri said, explaining McLaren’s much talked about ‘papaya rules’ are still in play.

“For us it’s pretty clear what those rules are—don’t crash into each other,” he added. “Regardless of what scenario you’re in, that’s how you’re expected to race as teammates.” As for the increasing title challenge of four-time reigning world champion Verstappen, Piastri acknowledged the Dutchman’s improved consistency was driving his rapid climb up the rankings.

“Clearly over the last few race weekends, Red Bull and Max have certainly found consistency more than anything,” he said. “There were flashes of that kind of performance earlier in the season, but I think the last few weekends it’s been very consistent. I’m sure that they’re going to be a threat again this weekend and we’ll try our best to get the most out of our car and see where we end up.”

‘Don’t crash into each other’;

https://www.sportingnews.com/au/form...1eb74a62db7ae6


Max ahead of Mexico GP: 'Keep the momentum'
24 October 2025
Stefan Meens
Verstappen.nl

“It’s obvious we’ve been doing well recently”, said Max. “I definitely enjoy it more this way and we’ll try to maintain the momentum. I want to try and keep winning races until the end of the season. But we also know we have to be perfect if want to have a chance at the end.” At Thursday’s press conference, the Dutchman was asked about the level of risk he is willing to take into turn one. “I don’t think about until I get there on Sunday. Every situation is different, it’s never the same, so there’s no point planning in advance.”

The remainder of the season plays out across racetracks all featuring different characterises. As such, Max is not sure if he can predict where his RB20 will be best suited. “I don’t think you can always go on past results. Some circuits will suit us better than others and I’ve won here a lot. But then again, last year was a disaster, so we’ll look at it race by race.”

“It’s a tricky circuit, with low grip. We have won here, but every year is different so we’ll see what happens. I’m expecting a fun weekend. The fans are always great and full of passion… …I always give everything I’ve got, on both the good and bad days. I’ve always been like that. I don’t think I’m all of a sudden quicker; I just have a more complete car to fight at the front.”

“I always give everything I’ve got”;

https://news.verstappen.com/en/article/5987/


Everything we learned already at F1's Mexican Grand Prix
Oct 24, 2025
The Race

At last weekend’s United States GP Red Bull got a €50k fine, half of which was suspended, after a team member ignored pit marshals’ instructions to go back through the opening in the pitwall at the start of the formation lap. Andrea Stella and Laurent Mekies, the two team bosses, have discussed the matter this week. Stella and Mekies are both understood to be keen that a line is drawn under it before it escalates or becomes a distraction.

The two McLaren drivers have a “clean slate” for the rest of the season after Oscar Piastri took “some responsibility” for their crash in the United States Grand Prix sprint race. That means the mini-saga and mystery over Lando Norris and his “consequences” for hitting Piastri in the Singapore Grand Prix has ended after just one weekend. McLaren’s post-event review concluded that Piastri could have been more careful in how he cut back across the track at the start of the sprint, which led to a multi-car crash that wiped out Piastri and Norris.

Max Verstappen is not only benefitting from a faster Red Bull in this title chase - he is also able to set it up more as he likes it now. “Naturally It gives me more confidence and it allows us to set up the car a little more aggressive, a little more on the nose without losing the rear for example. And that's exactly what you want.”

‘Everything we learned already’;

https://www.the-race.com/formula-1/e...an-grand-prix/


Mexican Grand Prix revs up for 10th anniversary celebration
Oct 24, 2025
The Straits Times

MEXICO CITY - After a decade of roaring engines and sold-out grandstands, the Mexican Grand Prix will celebrate its 10th anniversary this weekend as a major economic driver and international showcase for the country. Federico Gonzalez, director of the Formula One Mexican Grand Prix, outlined plans this weekend to mark the milestone while reflecting on the event's journey since returning to the F1 calendar in 2015.

"Every year we make an effort to improve the experience for attendees. We get into the smallest details and the biggest coordination efforts with the city," Gonzalez told Reuters on Wednesday. "This project is a platform for promoting tourism in the city and country to the world," he said, noting how the event fills Mexico City's hotels and restaurants while showcasing the nation as vibrant and industrious.”

The race operates through a trust fund established with private contributors rather than public money. "We all recognise that it is an economic windfall for the city, which is important because of the image it projects to the world. This weekend, the hotels and restaurants are full you can feel the vibe. It's not easy to move this city," he said. "The opportunity to be part of an event of this travelling nature is very good because year after year we are in the eye of the world with a presence and an image of the amazing things that happen in Mexico, of how hard-working Mexicans are," he said.

‘10th anniversary celebration’;

https://www.straitstimes.com/sport/f...ry-celebration

[Fortitude]

Charles Leclerc tops Mexican Grand Prix FP1 as Arvid Lindblad beats Yuki Tsunoda.
Yuki Tsunoda was beaten by Red Bull Junior Lindblad by one hundredth of a second, during an FP1 session that could prove vital in the team’s driver decision next year. Team principal Laurent Mekies revealed post-session that the two cars were running slightly different plans, which could have aided the young Brit.
24 October 2025
Rebecca Braybrook
F1 Oversteer

The dusty circuit caught out a couple of drivers, including Paul Aron in the early part of the session and then Hadjar with 20 minutes remaining. The Racing Bulls driver bailed out at Turn 12, heading down the escape road, before reversing back onto the track. The dusty circuit caught out a couple of drivers, including Paul Aron in the early part of the session and then Hadjar with 20 minutes remaining. The Racing Bulls driver bailed out at Turn 12, heading down the escape road, before reversing back onto the track.

Championship contenders Max Verstappen and Lando Norris were forced to miss the first running around the Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez as the teams participated in one of their four mandatory rookie runs. Oscar Piastri, who is leading the drivers’ championship by 14 points, was the first driver to start soft tyre runs at the midway point of the session, setting a time nearly a whole second faster than Isack Hadjar on the mediums.

‘Charles Leclerc tops Mexican Grand Prix FP1’;

https://www.f1oversteer.com/news/cha...-yuki-tsunoda/


Mexico City GP: Free Practice 1 Results
Full results from Free Practice 1 for the Formula 1 Mexico City Grand Prix.
25 Oct 2025
Ben Waterworth
Speedcafe

Charles Leclerc topped first practice for the Mexico City Grand Prix with a 1m18.380s, the Ferrari driver leading Mercedes rookie Kimi Antonelli by 0.107s and Sauber’s Nico Hulkenberg by 0.380s.

Pos. No. Driver Team Time / Gap Laps
1 16 Charles Leclerc Ferrari 1:18.380 29
2 12 Kimi Antonelli Mercedes +0.107s 35
3 27 Nico Hulkenberg Kick Sauber +0.380s 27
4 81 Oscar Piastri McLaren +0.404s 31
5 5 Gabriel Bortoleto Kick Sauber +0.536s 28
6 36 Arvid Lindblad Red Bull Racing +0.617s 26
7 31 Esteban Ocon Haas F1 Team +0.658s 29
8 22 Yuki Tsunoda Red Bull Racing +0.710s 29
9 43 Franco Colapinto Alpine +0.951s 28
10 23 Alexander Albon Williams +1.004s 33

‘Free Practice 1 Results’;

https://speedcafe.com/f1-news-2025-m...1-fp1-results/


FP1: Leclerc heads Antonelli and Hulkenberg in opening practice for Mexico City Grand Prix
Charles Leclerc set the pace in FP1 in Mexico as nine rookie drivers took part in the session.
25 Oct 2025
Formula One - Official Site

Charles Leclerc finished fastest in Free Practice 1 for the Mexico City Grand Prix, the Ferrari driver heading Kimi Antonelli and Nico Hulkenberg. Leclerc finished just one-tenth faster than Antonelli, with Hulkenberg a further three-tenths back from Drivers' Championship leader Oscar Piastri in fourth.

The McLaren driver gained some crucial running on his title rivals Lando Norris and Max Verstappen, who could only watch on from the pit wall. This was because no fewer than nine rookie drivers were in action during the one-hour session on Friday, with Kick Sauber the only team not to field a junior driver at the Autodromo Hermanos Rodríguez.

While all the stand-ins were keen to impress, the likes of Arvid Lindblad (Red Bull) and Paul Aron (Alpine) took to the track with greater emphasis as the possibility of graduating to the championship next season remains within their grasps. Esteban Ocon's 1m 20.934s initially left him top of the times as dust was cleared from the circuit in the early stages, with lap times continuing to drop as Isack Hadjar and Antonelli traded top spot between themselves.

‘Charles Leclerc set the pace in FP1’;

https://www.formula1.com/en/latest/a...tNzwBt2Tw6QRhs


Red Bull 'magical work' to help Max Verstappen cast spell over McLaren
Red Bull chief engineer Paul Monaghan has explained how "magical work in Milton Keynes" is aiding Max Verstappen's F1 drivers' championship charge at the Mexico City Grand Prix.
24 October 2025
Samuel Coop & Ian Parkes
RacingNews365

Speaking to media, including RacingNews365, Red Bull chief engineer Paul Monaghan reflected on the challenge, saying: "It's probably the most difficult one [grand prix] for cooling, because the engine is less affected if you can tune it appropriately.

"There's just nowhere to cool the thing, is there? So you've got a turbocharged engine that doesn't know it's at high altitude, and you've got radiators that haven't got any air, and brakes haven't got any air. So this is one of the bigger challenges in that respect.”

"Singapore was pretty tough temperature-wise, Hungary is normally brutal, but it's nearer sea level, but Hungary's got no air speed. Here we get plenty of air speed, just no air. So it's one of the difficult ones in that respect."

'Magical work';

https://racingnews365.com/red-bull-m...l-over-mclaren


Red Bull explains latest update to bolster Max Verstappen’s title challenge at F1 Mexico GP
24 October 2025
Jack Oliver Smith
Motorsport Week

When asked why the topbody exits, or ‘louvres’, were different to that of its rivals, Red Bull’s Chief Engineer Paul Monaghan explained to media including Motorsport Week: “Well, we are allowed to be different, so we choose to be. With the top body exit…if you go and look at a certain orange car, you’ll see some exits down by the wishbones.”

“Us, we choose to bring out a combination by the louvres and by the central exit. And what you choose to distribute, you choose to distribute. A different way to look at it is how much air do you need to push through your side pods to get the cooling.”

“Once you’ve done that, then you’ve got an indication of your exit area.Most cars are exit limited, not inlet limited. So you open up the exit first and how they choose to do it is down to their top body shape and how they spell it on the rear wing.”

‘Latest update to bolster Max Verstappen’s title challenge’;

https://www.motorsportweek.com/2025/...-f1-mexico-gp/

[Fortitude]

Mexican GP: Verstappen fastest as title charge continues in FP2 as Piastri struggles.
Championship leader Piastri was half a second slower, only 12th fastest after being unable to improve on his early single lap run.
25 Oct 2025
Mat Coch
PlanetF1.com

Max Verstappen made up for lost time after sitting out Free Practice 1 to top the day’s second practice hour. The Dutchman headed the second practice session for the Mexico City Grand Prix from Charles Leclerc and Kimi Antonelli, while title leader Oscar Piastri languished down the order.

The session ended with Verstappen fastest over Leclerc, Antonelli, Norris, and Hamilton in the top five, all covered by just three-tenths. There is hope, strong long run pace from McLaren, though Verstappen again looks a strong contender ahead of Sunday’s race.

‘Piastri was half a second slower, only 12th fastest’;

https://www.planetf1.com/news/mexica...025-fp2-report


Mexico City GP: Free Practice 2 Results
Full results from Free Practice 2 for the Formula 1 Mexico City Grand Prix.
25 Oct 2025
Ben Waterworth
Speedcafe

Cars return to the track for FP3 at 11:30am local time on Saturday (4:30am AEDT Sunday).
Pos. No. Driver Team Time / Gap Laps
1 1 Max Verstappen Red Bull Racing 1:17.392 33
2 16 Charles Leclerc Ferrari +0.153s 32
3 12 Kimi Antonelli Mercedes +0.174s 26
4 4 Lando Norris McLaren +0.251s 30
5 44 Lewis Hamilton Ferrari +0.300s 29
6 63 George Russell Mercedes +0.437s 32
7 22 Yuki Tsunoda Red Bull Racing +0.491s 31
8 14 Fernando Alonso Aston Martin +0.546s 28
9 55 Carlos Sainz Williams +0.547s 33
10 18 Lance Stroll Aston Martin +0.562s 29

‘Free Practice 2 Results’;

https://speedcafe.com/f1-news-2025-m...2-fp2-results/


Piastri explains ‘pretty average’ lap after P12 in Mexico FP2 as he aims for ‘more consistent’ Saturday
Oscar Piastri did not trouble the top of the timesheets during Free Practice 2 at the Mexico City Grand Prix, with the McLaren driver ending the session in P12.
25 Oct 2025
Formula One - Official Site

Oscar Piastri labelled his soft tyre run during second practice at the Mexico City Grand Prix as “pretty average” after ending the session down in P12, leaving the Australian to target a “more consistent” day on Saturday. While McLaren team mate Lando Norris handed his car over to Pato O’Ward for one of the squad’s rookie outings in Free Practice 1, Piastri was in action for the opening hour of running and claimed P4 on the timesheets.

However, after returning for the second session later on Friday, the championship leader did not quite put his soft-shod lap together and found himself down in 12th – his effort eight-tenths off the pace-setting time of Red Bull’s Max Verstappen – while Norris took fourth place. Asked for his thoughts on the day after jumping out of the car, Piastri responded: “It was okay. I think, yeah, the lap on softs and low fuel was pretty average, so I’m not surprised with the lap time.”

“I think we tried a lot of things, we’ll go through and have a look at what worked, what didn’t, but overall I felt reasonable. We’ll see what we can tune up for tomorrow and try and make things just a bit more consistent is the biggest thing.”

‘P12’;

https://www.formula1.com/en/latest/a...bSbRd08IAdIzJ8


Villeneuve brands Mexican GP practice ‘continuation’ of ‘messy’ Oscar Piastri
25 Oct 2025
Mat Coch
PlanetF1.com

A scrappy qualifying simulation run left Oscar Piastri down the order at the end of Friday at the Mexican Grand Prix, with Jacques Villeneuve unwilling to cut him any slack. The recent trend has left Piastri third fastest of the three title contenders, with both Norris and Verstappen edging closer in the points race.

“We didn’t hear a lot of confidence there,” he said on Sky Sports following Piastri’s interview. “It’s messy. His driving has been messy since Baku, and you can see it. Normally, that means a tenth, two-tenths, a little mistake here and there, not setting the car right. It gets into your head. And seeing Max again in front, that’s going to eat him all evening.”

Villeneuve has suggested that, having led the championship for 15 races, Red Bull’s rise coupled with Piastri’s diminishing points advantage is playing on his mind. “To think about it in an easy way, is run,” Villeneuve explained. “If you’re looking backward as you’re running, things will go wrong, and then that’s what’s happening.”

“That’s going to eat him all evening”;

https://www.planetf1.com/news/villen...-oscar-piastri


Lando Norris admits McLaren balance ‘all over the place’ after F1 Mexico GP practice
25 Oct 2025
Jack Oliver Smith
Motorsport Week

Lando Norris has concluded that McLaren is “all over the place” in terms of its balance over one lap after first and second practice for Formula 1‘s Mexico City Grand Prix. Speaking after FP2, Norris was positive about the car being somewhat close to full potential, but was concerned that he “found the limit quite quickly”.

“I think we’re in a reasonable place, for sure. I feel like I got up to speed very quickly, actually, I was quite surprised,” he said. “My first lap was pretty good, and the second lap was a good step. So, yes, I felt like I found the limit quickly, but that is just holding us back a bit. Not that it was a bad day, but normally we’re very good on a Friday, and then everyone catches up on Saturday.”

“We’re already a little bit behind, so we definitely have some work to do tonight. The balance of the car is just a bit all over the place, the same as the last few weeks, just single lap stuff. We’re struggling at the moment, so yes, we’re working hard. We’re trying everything we can, so we’ll see what we can do and see what we can find.”

‘All over the place’;

https://www.motorsportweek.com/2025/...o-gp-practice/


Max Verstappen boosted by latest Red Bull upgrade as Oscar Piastri struggles continue
With a new upgrade on that RB21, Max Verstappen has laid down a solid platform for the rest of the weekend.
25 October 2025
Ian Parkes
RacingNews365

Verstappen's quickest lap of 1:17.392s was achieved in an RB21 sporting its latest upgrade, including a tweak to the floor as part of an overall cooling package required for this circuit due to Mexico City standing at 2,238 m (7,343 ft) above sea level, leading to 20 per cent thinner air, ensuring temperatures are higher in any car.

The Dutchman finished 0.153s clear of Ferrari's Charles Leclerc, who had topped FP1, with Mercedes' Kimi Antonelli third on the timesheet, 0.174s off the pace, followed by McLaren's Lando Norris a quarter of a second down. As for Piastri, the session appeared a struggle for the Australian, who was down in 12th, 0.840s adrift.

Norris 'misfires': On the medium tyre, Leclerc set the pace early on with a 1:18.669s. Despite complaining of a "lot of misfires" with his MCL39, Norris posted a lap 0.012s shy of Leclerc, with Piastri a quarter of a second adrift at that stage.

‘Oscar Piastri struggles down in 12th, 0.840s adrift’;

https://racingnews365.com/max-versta...ggles-continue


Max Verstappen F1 title challenge boosted with four-part Red Bull upgrades in Mexico
24 Oct 2025
Elizabeth Blackstock
PlanetF1.com

Red Bull Racing has introduced a four-part upgrade package for the 2025 Mexico City Grand Prix, including updates to the floor body, edge wing, front corner, and engine cover. Typically, any focus on 2025 will therefore cost the team come 2026; but Paul Monaghan, chief engineer at Red Bull Racing, denied that the current upgrades have required any significant transfers of manpower thanks to the utilisation of a previous spec floor.

“We have taken the choice, and it’s a make-from, so it’s a previous floor that we’ve managed to recycle,” Monaghan explained. “It was sufficiently modular to get it here. The redistribution of cooling exits was found when we went through the last iteration of top-body, and we thought, ‘Oh, we’ve missed that one; we can get it in here, though.’ Some magical work in Milton Keynes, and it’s here.”

‘Four-part upgrade package’;

https://www.planetf1.com/news/max-ve...ades-in-mexico

[Fortitude]

Lando Norris fastest in Mexican Grand Prix FP3 ahead of Lewis Hamilton and George Russell.
Lando Norris topped the timing sheets for the final practice at the Mexican Grand Prix, with Oscar Piastri and Max Verstappen dropping back.
25 October 2025
Rebecca Braybrook
F1 Oversteer

Verstappen made his way out onto the Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez track early in free practice three with a rear wing covered in flow vis paint. Red Bull have potentially made changes to the car overnight and was using the start of the session to gather vital data, with both drivers running different rear wing set-ups.

Similar to the second practice yesterday, some drivers were struggling to get their medium tyre into its optimal levels. Lewis Hamilton was seen fighting his Ferrari multiple times in the first half of FP3, with George Russell and Lance Stroll complaining about the slippery conditions. Lando Norris topped the timing sheets at the halfway mark of the session, leading from Carlos Sainz in the Williams and Russell, with the Spaniard an anomaly at the top on soft tyres.

Oscar Piastri could not keep up with his McLaren teammate in the first half of FP2, finding himself once again in P12 with 30 minutes remaining. The practice times aren’t necessarily reflective of what could be seen in qualifying later today, as each team’s fuel loads remain unknown. The end of FP3 saw some soft tyre qualifying runs, which saw Isack Hadjar set the fastest time ahead of Lance Stroll as Piastri took part in his first flying lap.

‘Lando Norris topped the timing sheets for the final practice’;

https://www.f1oversteer.com/news/lan...eorge-russell/


2025 F1 Mexico City GP – Free Practice 3 Results
Lando Norris topped the final practice session in Mexico City as McLaren laid down an early marker ahead of qualifying.
25 October 2025
John Smith
Total Motorsport

F1 Mexico City GP 2025 FP3 results
Check out the full Mexico City GP 2025 Free Practice 3 results from the third and final practice session at the Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez below.
Pos Driver Team Time
1 Lando Norris McLaren 1:16.633
2 Lewis Hamilton Ferrari +0.345
3 George Russell Mercedes +0.512
4 Charles Leclerc Ferrari +0.566
5 Oscar Piastri McLaren +0.599
6 Max Verstappen Red Bull +0.609
7 Kimi Antonelli Mercedes +0.620
8 Isack Hadjar Racing Bulls +0.763
9 Yuki Tsunoda Red Bull +0.782
10 Gabriel Bortoleto Sauber +0.893

‘FP3 results’;

https://www.total-motorsport.com/202...ice-3-results/


Norris moves clear in final Mexican GP practice
Oct 25, 2025
Matt Beer
The Race

Lando Norris was a commanding 0.345 seconds clear of the field in final practice for Formula 1's Mexican Grand Prix. What had been an extraordinarily close session - with most of the field within the same second, the top six covered by hundredths and multiple teams taking turns in first place - suddenly became far more spread out when the final qualifying simulation runs happened in the closing minutes.

Norris's 1m16.633s put him at the head of a McLaren-Ferrari-Mercedes top three, with Lewis Hamilton second and George Russell third. Friday pacesetter Max Verstappen complained of lacking grip as he only managed sixth, 0.609s off Norris's time - albeit running in a lower power setting. The second McLaren of Oscar Piastri was fifth behind Charles Leclerc's Ferrari, and 0.599s slower than Norris.

‘Norris moves clear’;

https://www.the-race.com/formula-1/n...n-gp-practice/


Lando Norris leads British 1-2-3 in F1 Mexico GP FP3
Oct 25, 2025
Jack Oliver Smith
Motorsport Week

Lando Norris topped FP3 ahead of qualifying for Formula 1‘s Mexico City Grand Prix, leading a British trio at the top of the timesheets at the Hermanos Rodriguez Circuit. The McLaren man’s 1:16.663s was enough to lead the way, with Lewis Hamilton second, three-and-a-half tenths adrift.

Hamilton showed good promise in the session, despite taking to the run-off area early on. Mercedes’ George Russell completed the Britannic trio, a further two tenths behind Norris’ time. Charles Leclerc was fourth, with Norris’ team-mate Oscar Piastri fifth.

‘British 1-2-3’;

https://www.motorsportweek.com/2025/...mexico-gp-fp3/


Lando Norris ride-height change pays major dividends ahead of Mexican GP qualifying
That's a significant marker from Lando Norris going into qualifying.
25 October 2025
Ian Parkes
RacingNews365

Lando Norris delivered a consummate final practice performance to give the F1 championship challenger the edge going into qualifying for the Mexico City Grand Prix. The McLaren driver, 14 points behind team-mate Oscar Piastri going into Sunday's 71-lap race at the Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez, delivered a superb lap in the qualifying simulation runs late in the session of 1:16.633s.

That followed a noticeable ride-height change between his two soft-tyre runs, leaving Norris a staggering 0.345s clear of Ferrari's Lewis Hamilton, with Mercedes' George Russell half a second adrift in third. As for Red Bull's Max Verstappen, quickest after Friday practice but unhappy with the race pace of his RB21, the four-time champion was only sixth on the timesheet, 0.609s off the pace. Piastri was marginally ahead of the Dutchman in fifth.

‘Noticeable ride-height change’;

https://racingnews365.com/lando-norr...-gp-qualifying

[Fortitude]

Lewis Hamilton: Ferrari driver vows to be 'aggressive' at Mexico City GP start after 'climbing mountain' back to top three.
Lewis Hamilton sees positives in starting from third at Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez; "I don't have anything to lose, but he [Norris] does," says Hamilton.
25/10/2025
Sky Sports

Lewis Hamilton has promised to be "quite aggressive" from third on the grid at the start of the Mexico City Grand Prix as he bids to capitalise on his best qualifying result at Ferrari to achieve an "amazing" first podium for the team. But having now returned to the top three of qualifying for the first time in 13 months, Hamilton believes there are finally signs of genuine progress.

"I'm so happy to be up there in the top three," said Hamilton after achieving his best start for a Grand Prix since Singapore 2024. "All year it has taken me to get here so it's been a serious mountain to climb. But finally gelling with everything around me and I think myself and my engineers we are really starting to extract the performance from the car, so I'm really, really happy.”

"Honestly, it's been a tough year, and I cant believe it's taken me this long to get here, but it's ok. What matters is the journey and I've grown a lot through it." Hamilton feels he may be the Ferrari driver holding the more preferable grid slot on row two. That is because third is located on the grid's left-hand side, the cleaner racing line, and the fact that, at 830m, the run to the Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez's first turn is one of the longest of the season and therefore allows slipstreaming opportunities for following cars.

"I don't have anything to lose, but he [Norris] does";

https://www.skysports.com/f1/news/12...k-to-top-three


Mexico City Grand Prix - Qualifying results
25/10/2025
Michael Delaney
F1i.com

Full results from qualifying for the Mexico City Grand Prix at Mexico, round 20 of the 2025 Formula 1 season.
2025 Mexico City Grand Prix - Qualifying results
Pos Driver Team Q1 Q2 Q3
1 Lando Norris McLaren 1:16.899s 1:16.252s 1:15.586s
2 Charles Leclerc Ferrari 1:17.024s 1:16.658s 1:15.848s
3 Lewis Hamilton Ferrari 1:16.736s 1:16.458s 1:15.938s
4 George Russell Mercedes 1:16.895s 1:16.537s 1:16.034s
5 Max Verstappen Red Bull 1:17.076s 1:16.605s 1:16.070s
6 Andrea Kimi Antonelli Mercedes 1:17.291s 1:16.773s 1:16.118s
7 Carlos Sainz Williams 1:17.171s 1:16.607s 1:16.172s
8 Oscar Piastri McLaren 1:17.158s 1:16.737s 1:16.174s
9 Isack Hadjar Racing Bulls 1:16.733s 1:16.804s 1:16.252s
10 Oliver Bearman Haas 1:17.040s 1:16.787s 1:16.460s

‘Qualifying results’;

https://f1i.com/news/551923-mexico-c...g-results.html


Mexican GP: Norris delivers hammer blow as Piastri and Verstappen suffer setbacks
25 Oct 2025
Mat Coch
PlanetF1.com

Lando Norris has delivered arguably the most important pole position of his career, striking a hammer on Oscar Piastri and Max Verstappen. Norris set a blistering final lap to secure pole position for the Mexico City Grand Prix, joined on the front row by Charles Leclerc with Lewis Hamilton in third.

Norris had looked in control throughout the session until a late challenge from Leclerc threatened to steal pole position away. Seeing that off, the McLaren driver recorded an important result in the context of the championship, with Max Verstappen only fifth while Piastri will line up for Sunday’s race in seventh despite qualifying eighth.

‘Hammer blow’;

https://www.planetf1.com/news/mexica...lifying-report


Oscar Piastri ‘odd comments’ alert Villeneuve after Mexican GP setback
26 Oct 2025
Jamie Woodhouse
PlanetF1.com

Oscar Piastri did not feel like things were going too bad in his McLaren during Mexican Grand Prix qualifying, yet the final result was emphatic. Villeneuve, on Sky F1 punditry duties in Mexico, says a gap as stark as that between teammates, usually triggers the driver on the wrong side to really start pushing the boundaries, not find satisfaction in how the car was feeling.

He said: “What was odd, his comments about, I don’t know why there’s no pace, and when you say that you’re quite happy with the car, everything is feeling good, and somehow it’s not working on the clock.”

“When you’re slower than your teammate by that amount, normally, you will try to push a little bit harder. You’ll get in trouble. You’ll lock wheels, so you’ll start to figure out, okay, there’s issues here and there. I can improve there. But he seemed to be happy with how the car was feeling, and that’s what’s really strange.”

‘Villeneuve alerted’;

https://www.planetf1.com/news/jacque...rix-qualifying


Oscar Piastri admits huge F1 Mexico GP qualifying gap to Lando Norris ‘a bit of a mystery’
26 Oct 2025
Jack Oliver Smith
Motorsport Week

After qualifying, Piastri admitted that he had no answer to why exactly his MCL39 could not extract the level of performance that Norris was able to. “I mean, difficult to know, everything feels normal,” he told media including Motorsport Week. “But the gap was big in that session, it’s been big all weekend.”

“And there’s been some things where I felt like I can tidy it up and make some easy progress, but not all of it. And I think in qualifying, I feel like I did a reasonable job and the car felt reasonable as well. So, yeah, the lack of lap time is a bit of a mystery.”

‘A bit of a mystery’;

https://www.motorsportweek.com/2025/...-of-a-mystery/


What are the tactical options for the Mexico City Grand Prix?
26 Oct 2025
Formula One - Official Site

Lando Norris has looked unstoppable this weekend, with a mesmeric final lap in Q3 giving him pole by a healthy margin. What will doubtless please him even more – though he’s far too diplomatic to say it – is that the three cars behind him are red and silver, rather than blue and orange.

Ferrari are second and third, with George Russell fourth, before Max Verstappen, struggling for grip, appears in fifth, one row ahead of Championship leader Oscar Piastri, who will start seventh.

But this isn’t a race that’s won on Saturday. Pirelli have bridged their tyre compounds to produce some intriguing strategy options, and Mexico City has a history of throwing its own brand of mayhem into the works. We’re in for quite a race.

‘Tactical options’;

https://www.formula1.com/en/latest/a...P1EqmfSxJZu8BV

[Fortitude]

Lewis Hamilton: Ferrari driver vows to be 'aggressive' at Mexico City GP start after 'climbing mountain' back to top three.
Lewis Hamilton sees positives in starting from third at Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez; "I don't have anything to lose, but he [Norris] does," says Hamilton.
25/10/2025
Sky Sports

Lewis Hamilton has promised to be "quite aggressive" from third on the grid at the start of the Mexico City Grand Prix as he bids to capitalise on his best qualifying result at Ferrari to achieve an "amazing" first podium for the team. But having now returned to the top three of qualifying for the first time in 13 months, Hamilton believes there are finally signs of genuine progress.

"I'm so happy to be up there in the top three," said Hamilton after achieving his best start for a Grand Prix since Singapore 2024. "All year it has taken me to get here so it's been a serious mountain to climb. But finally gelling with everything around me and I think myself and my engineers we are really starting to extract the performance from the car, so I'm really, really happy.”

"Honestly, it's been a tough year, and I cant believe it's taken me this long to get here, but it's ok. What matters is the journey and I've grown a lot through it." Hamilton feels he may be the Ferrari driver holding the more preferable grid slot on row two. That is because third is located on the grid's left-hand side, the cleaner racing line, and the fact that, at 830m, the run to the Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez's first turn is one of the longest of the season and therefore allows slipstreaming opportunities for following cars.

"I don't have anything to lose, but he [Norris] does";

https://www.skysports.com/f1/news/12...k-to-top-three


Mexico City Grand Prix - Qualifying results
25/10/2025
Michael Delaney
F1i.com

Full results from qualifying for the Mexico City Grand Prix at Mexico, round 20 of the 2025 Formula 1 season.
2025 Mexico City Grand Prix - Qualifying results
Pos Driver Team Q1 Q2 Q3
1 Lando Norris McLaren 1:16.899s 1:16.252s 1:15.586s
2 Charles Leclerc Ferrari 1:17.024s 1:16.658s 1:15.848s
3 Lewis Hamilton Ferrari 1:16.736s 1:16.458s 1:15.938s
4 George Russell Mercedes 1:16.895s 1:16.537s 1:16.034s
5 Max Verstappen Red Bull 1:17.076s 1:16.605s 1:16.070s
6 Andrea Kimi Antonelli Mercedes 1:17.291s 1:16.773s 1:16.118s
7 Carlos Sainz Williams 1:17.171s 1:16.607s 1:16.172s
8 Oscar Piastri McLaren 1:17.158s 1:16.737s 1:16.174s
9 Isack Hadjar Racing Bulls 1:16.733s 1:16.804s 1:16.252s
10 Oliver Bearman Haas 1:17.040s 1:16.787s 1:16.460s

‘Qualifying results’;

https://f1i.com/news/551923-mexico-c...g-results.html


Mexican GP: Norris delivers hammer blow as Piastri and Verstappen suffer setbacks
25 Oct 2025
Mat Coch
PlanetF1.com

Lando Norris has delivered arguably the most important pole position of his career, striking a hammer on Oscar Piastri and Max Verstappen. Norris set a blistering final lap to secure pole position for the Mexico City Grand Prix, joined on the front row by Charles Leclerc with Lewis Hamilton in third.

Norris had looked in control throughout the session until a late challenge from Leclerc threatened to steal pole position away. Seeing that off, the McLaren driver recorded an important result in the context of the championship, with Max Verstappen only fifth while Piastri will line up for Sunday’s race in seventh despite qualifying eighth.

‘Hammer blow’;

https://www.planetf1.com/news/mexica...lifying-report


Oscar Piastri ‘odd comments’ alert Villeneuve after Mexican GP setback
26 Oct 2025
Jamie Woodhouse
PlanetF1.com

Oscar Piastri did not feel like things were going too bad in his McLaren during Mexican Grand Prix qualifying, yet the final result was emphatic. Villeneuve, on Sky F1 punditry duties in Mexico, says a gap as stark as that between teammates, usually triggers the driver on the wrong side to really start pushing the boundaries, not find satisfaction in how the car was feeling.

He said: “What was odd, his comments about, I don’t know why there’s no pace, and when you say that you’re quite happy with the car, everything is feeling good, and somehow it’s not working on the clock.”

“When you’re slower than your teammate by that amount, normally, you will try to push a little bit harder. You’ll get in trouble. You’ll lock wheels, so you’ll start to figure out, okay, there’s issues here and there. I can improve there. But he seemed to be happy with how the car was feeling, and that’s what’s really strange.”

‘Villeneuve alerted’;

https://www.planetf1.com/news/jacque...rix-qualifying


Oscar Piastri admits huge F1 Mexico GP qualifying gap to Lando Norris ‘a bit of a mystery’
26 Oct 2025
Jack Oliver Smith
Motorsport Week

After qualifying, Piastri admitted that he had no answer to why exactly his MCL39 could not extract the level of performance that Norris was able to. “I mean, difficult to know, everything feels normal,” he told media including Motorsport Week. “But the gap was big in that session, it’s been big all weekend.”

“And there’s been some things where I felt like I can tidy it up and make some easy progress, but not all of it. And I think in qualifying, I feel like I did a reasonable job and the car felt reasonable as well. So, yeah, the lack of lap time is a bit of a mystery.”

‘A bit of a mystery’;

https://www.motorsportweek.com/2025/...-of-a-mystery/


What are the tactical options for the Mexico City Grand Prix?
26 Oct 2025
Formula One - Official Site

Lando Norris has looked unstoppable this weekend, with a mesmeric final lap in Q3 giving him pole by a healthy margin. What will doubtless please him even more – though he’s far too diplomatic to say it – is that the three cars behind him are red and silver, rather than blue and orange.

Ferrari are second and third, with George Russell fourth, before Max Verstappen, struggling for grip, appears in fifth, one row ahead of Championship leader Oscar Piastri, who will start seventh.

But this isn’t a race that’s won on Saturday. Pirelli have bridged their tyre compounds to produce some intriguing strategy options, and Mexico City has a history of throwing its own brand of mayhem into the works. We’re in for quite a race.

‘Tactical options’;

https://www.formula1.com/en/latest/a...P1EqmfSxJZu8BV