Lando Norris edged out Kimi Antonelli by 0.001 seconds in final practice for the Mexico City Grand Prix, setting up a thrilling qualifying session. McLaren and Mercedes outpaced Ferrari's Charles Leclerc by one tenth of a second, despite Leclerc topping both Friday sessions. Oscar Piastri finished fourth, while Red Bull struggled with Max Verstappen 0.351s off the pace.
A three-team fight for pole is expected. Regardless of qualifying results, Verstappen cannot start on pole due to a one-grid-place penalty for colliding with Liam Lawson in second practice. The stewards called the incident "unacceptable".
Before final practice, Haas replaced Esteban Ocon with reserve driver Ryo Hirakawa for the remainder of the weekend. Hirakawa, a 24 Hours of Le Mans winner, was 19th, six tenths off teammate Oliver Bearman. The stewards deemed the Ocon replacement a shock decision with no reason provided, confirming Ocon is not ill.
Ocon will leave Haas at season's end, replaced by Rafael Camara. Looking ahead to qualifying, nobody set their best lap on soft tyre runs initially, leaving the session open. Ferrari may have more pace than shown, with Lewis Hamilton sixth and George Russell seventh.
Source: Sky Sports Champions League · Summarized by HeadlinesBriefing