Charles Leclerc kept Ferrari on top in second practice for Formula 1โs 2026 Mexican Grand Prix, despite a messy session in which he twice went off the track and team-mate Lewis Hamilton broke down on track with an engine problem and Max Verstappen collided with Red Bull stablemate Liam Lawson.
๐ The Core Development
The Ferraris established a comfortable advantage during the early running on the harder Pirelli tyre compounds, despite a lurid slide through the esses from Leclerc, with him and Hamilton 1-2 using the medium tyre and six tenths clear of Oscar Piastriโs hard-tyred McLaren.
Having sat out first practice, Verstappen decided to head straight out on the soft tyre but was only fifth fastest and a full second off the pace before a bizarre incident with Lawson that caused a red flag.
๐ Background & Sector Context
Verstappen dived inside the Racing Bulls on the brakes into Turn 12, gesticulating at Lawson as they exited the corner side by side.
Lawson remained on Verstappenโs inside through the following Turn 13 left-hand hairpin and the two then collided at the Turn 14 right-hander as Verstappen went off the track, over the inside kerb and into Lawsonโs car.
๐ Industry & Real-World Impact
The incident shattered the Red Bullโs left-hand-side bargeboard and a red flag stoppage was required to clear the debris.
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๐ฎ Strategic Outlook & What Lies Ahead
Once the session resumed, championship leader Kimi Antonelli attempted a final run on the medium tyre that split the two Ferraris. He was absolutely level with Leclerc after two sectors, but encountered Pierre Gaslyโs Alpine through the final sequence of turns and ended up three tenths off.
Leclerc maintained Ferrariโs place at the top of the timesheet in the qualifying simulations on soft tyres, despite running wide through Turn 12 after encountering Sergio Perezโs Cadillac on his first flying lap, then locking up heavily under braking for Turn 1 when he made a second attempt.
