2026 Mexico City GP recap: what happened on Friday?

Charles Leclerc completed a clean sweep of Friday practice at the 2026 Formula 1 Mexico City Grand Prix, putting Ferrari at the top of both FP1 and FP2 at the Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez.

But behind the Monegasque's impressive pace, the opening day delivered plenty of drama. Lewis Hamilton suffered a power unit failure, Max Verstappen and Liam Lawson collided and received grid penalties, while Colton Herta's hopes of securing his Formula 1 Super Licence encountered an unexpected setback.

With McLaren and Mercedes closing the gap during the afternoon, Saturday's qualifying battle promises to be considerably tighter than Friday's opening session suggested.

FP1: Leclerc Dominates as Ten Young Drivers Take to the Track

Ferrari made an immediate statement in first practice, with Leclerc setting a 1:18.128 on soft tyres to finish 0.659 seconds ahead of championship leader Kimi Antonelli.

Mercedes reserve Frederik Vesti impressed in third, just 0.074 seconds behind Antonelli, while Hamilton secured fourth for Ferrari.

Ayumu Iwasa completed the top five after replacing Verstappen at Red Bull.

The session featured an unusually large number of substitute drivers, with 10 of the 11 teams fielding young or reserve drivers to fulfil their mandatory practice obligations.

Ferrari was the only constructor to retain both regular drivers, giving Leclerc and Hamilton additional preparation time.

Among the newcomers were Nikola Tsolov, Freddie Slater and Leonardo Fornaroli, while Audi endured an embarrassing incident when Slater was released with a cooling fan still attached to his car.

A late Virtual Safety Car followed Jak Crawford's stoppage in the Aston Martin, but Leclerc's benchmark remained untouched.

Read our full Mexico City FP1 debrief.

FP2: Ferrari Stays Ahead, but Norris and Russell Close In

The second session provided a more representative picture of the competitive order as the regular drivers returned.

Leclerc once again emerged fastest, lowering his benchmark to 1:17.827, although his advantage was significantly smaller.

Lando Norris finished second for McLaren, just 0.103 seconds behind, while George Russell secured third, only 0.003 seconds slower than Norris.

Antonelli completed the top four, 0.217 seconds off Leclerc, with Verstappen fifth at 0.311 seconds.

Despite several lock-ups and a moment through the stadium section, Leclerc ultimately delivered the fastest lap of the day.

However, Friday's results were not entirely encouraging for Ferrari.

Hamilton's Practice Ends with Power Unit Failure

Hamilton had shown promising speed early in FP2, briefly leading the session on medium tyres.

His running ended prematurely when his Ferrari lost power, forcing him to stop on circuit and triggering a Virtual Safety Car.

"I lost all power from Turn 13," Hamilton reported over team radio.

The seven-time World Champion finished 11th, but the interruption prevented him from completing his planned long-run programme.

Ferrari will now need to investigate the power unit issue before Saturday, particularly given the cooling challenges presented by Mexico City's high altitude.

Hamilton nevertheless indicated that the car felt competitive and that major setup changes were unlikely to be necessary.

Verstappen and Lawson Collide, Both Receive Grid Penalties

One of Friday's biggest talking points came when Verstappen and Racing Bulls driver Liam Lawson became involved in a confrontation through the stadium section during FP2.

The pair went side-by-side through the final sector before making contact, damaging both cars and scattering debris across the circuit.

Race control briefly suspended the session with a red flag.

Following an investigation, the stewards handed both drivers a one-place grid penalty for Sunday's race, along with one penalty point each.

The officials considered their conduct unacceptable, particularly after teams had been warned earlier about unnecessary incidents during practice.

The penalties introduce an additional complication for Verstappen, who will have to account for the grid drop regardless of his qualifying performance.

Herta Remains One Point Short of His Super Licence

Another major Friday storyline involved American driver Colton Herta, who completed 30 laps for Cadillac during FP1.

His running comfortably exceeded the 100-kilometre requirement to earn an additional FIA Super Licence point.

Initially, that appeared sufficient to reach the 40-point threshold required to apply for a Formula 1 race licence.

However, a correction to Herta's 2025 IndyCar championship classification means he remains on 39 points.

The American was originally believed to have finished sixth in the championship, but a tie-break with Felix Rosenqvist placed him seventh.

That difference reduced his eligible championship points and left him one short of the required total.

Cadillac could provide another practice opportunity at the upcoming São Paulo Grand Prix, potentially allowing Herta to complete the final requirement.

Read our detailed explanation of why Colton Herta remains one point short of an F1 Super Licence.

What Friday's Results Mean for Qualifying

While Ferrari ended Friday as the fastest team, the competitive picture remains uncertain.

Mexico City's high altitude reduces aerodynamic downforce and makes cooling management particularly demanding. The dusty, low-grip surface also contributed to repeated lock-ups and mistakes throughout both sessions.

Just 0.311 seconds separated Leclerc and Verstappen across the top five in FP2, suggesting that Ferrari, McLaren, Mercedes and Red Bull could all challenge for the leading qualifying positions.

Norris demonstrated encouraging single-lap speed, while Mercedes placed both drivers inside the top four.

Ferrari's biggest concern will be Hamilton's reliability, rather than Leclerc's outright pace.

Saturday's final practice begins at 11:30 local time, followed by qualifying at 15:00, when the true competitive order will become clearer.

For now, Leclerc has established himself as the early benchmark in Mexico City, but Friday's drama has ensured the Grand Prix weekend is already delivering far more than lap times alone.