Ferrari ended Friday as the fastest team in Mexico City, but one of its two cars stopped on the track with no power. Our F1 Mexico City Grand Prix hub tracks the weekend; qualifying, which sets Sunday’s starting grid, comes today.
Charles Leclerc, Ferrari’s Monaco-born driver, topped both Friday practice sessions at the Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez, the high-altitude Mexico City circuit. His team-mate Lewis Hamilton, the seven-time world champion, lost power in the second session and parked his car.
Key Facts
- Fastest: Leclerc set 1:18.128 in first practice and 1:17.827 in second practice on Friday, 30 October.
- Trouble: Hamilton stopped his Ferrari in second practice after reporting a loss of power; he finished 11th.
- Collision: Max Verstappen and Liam Lawson touched, causing a short red flag, a stoppage while debris was cleared.
- Next: Qualifying is Saturday at 5:00 p.m. ET (3:00 p.m. Mexico City); the race is Sunday at 3:00 p.m. ET (2:00 p.m. local).
Ferrari Sets the Pace
Leclerc finished second practice 0.103 seconds ahead of Lando Norris of McLaren. George Russell of Mercedes was third, 0.106 seconds behind.
Kimi Antonelli, Mercedes’ 20-year-old Italian driver who leads the championship, was fourth, 0.217 seconds off the pace. Verstappen of Red Bull, a four-time champion, was fifth at 0.311 seconds.
The track sits about 2,200 metres above sea level. Thin air gives engines less to breathe and cars less downforce, so teams treat this race differently from most.
Why Hamilton’s Stop Matters
Hamilton told his team he had lost all power, and he was told to stop the car. He finished 11th in a session that ended early for him.
Ferrari has not said which part failed. Whether it needs a new power unit, the engine and hybrid system together, is not yet known; a change beyond the season allowance can mean a grid penalty, a drop of places at the start.
Verstappen and Lawson, a Racing Bulls driver, touched while fighting for track position. The stewards, the race officials of the FIA (motor sport’s governing body), summoned both drivers; no penalty had been announced when we checked.
What Antonelli Needs on Sunday
Antonelli can clinch the drivers’ title in Mexico City by finishing in the top nine. Only Russell and Hamilton remain mathematically behind him, and both would need to win to keep the fight alive.
Friday’s times are guides, not results. Teams run different fuel loads and engine modes in practice, so qualifying will give the first true order.
What It Means for US Readers
Qualifying starts Saturday, 31 October, at 5:00 p.m. ET (4:00 p.m. CT, 3:00 p.m. MT, 2:00 p.m. PT). The race follows on Sunday, 1 November, at 3:00 p.m. ET (2:00 p.m. CT, 1:00 p.m. MT, noon PT), after US clocks go back overnight.
Mexico City, which no longer uses daylight saving time, stays on UTC-6 all year. Free Practice 3, the last warm-up, runs at 11:30 a.m. local time on Saturday, which is 1:30 p.m. ET.
What Is Not Known
Ferrari has not named the failed part or said whether Hamilton faces a penalty. The Verstappen and Lawson decision is also still open, and no qualifying or race result exists yet.
Frequently Asked Questions
When is Mexico City Grand Prix qualifying?
Saturday, 31 October, at 5:00 p.m. ET, which is 3:00 p.m. in Mexico City. The race is Sunday at 3:00 p.m. ET.
What happened to Hamilton in practice?
He reported a loss of power in second practice and was told to stop his Ferrari. He finished 11th, and Ferrari has not named the cause.
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