Max finishes third practice in Mexico in P5
Published on 31 October 2026 by Kees-Jan Koster
Max Verstappen finished the third practice session for the Mexican Grand Prix with the fifth-fastest time. The Red Bull driver was unable to improve on his final run and ended up just over three tenths of a second off the fastest time. That went to Lando Norris, who was just one thousandth of a second quicker than Kimi Antonelli in P2. Charles Leclerc recorded the third-fastest time, while Oscar Piastri finished the session in fourth.
The temperature is 22 degrees at the Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez, with the track temperature at 41 degrees. Shortly before the start of the session, it is announced that both Max Verstappen and Liam Lawson will receive a one-place grid penalty. The two made contact during second practice after Max attempted an overtaking manoeuvre and Lawson defended firmly. Both cars sustained damage in the incident. There is more news before the lights turn green: Ryo Hirakawa will take over Esteban Ocon’s Haas for the remainder of the weekend. The Japanese driver had already taken part in first practice, but will now also replace the Frenchman in the remaining sessions. Haas provides no further explanation for the change.
The track is quiet during the opening minutes of the session, with only a handful of drivers venturing out. After fifteen minutes, the leading teams begin to emerge and the pace increases. Kimi Antonelli sets the fastest time with a 1:18.754, more than half a second quicker than Pierre Gasly, who had been leading up to that point. Charles Leclerc then manages to shave a fraction off that time, but Antonelli quickly reclaims the top spot. Max does not appear until after twenty minutes, making him one of the last drivers to take to the track. He clocks a 1:18.804, putting him third at that point. Oscar Piastri, Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc make significant improvements. Leclerc takes the lead with a 1:18.185.
At the halfway point, the top six are as follows: Leclerc, Hamilton, Piastri, Antonelli, Russell and Verstappen. Max tries to improve his time and is quicker through the first two sectors than on his previous fastest lap. However, he loses time in the final section of the circuit, meaning he fails to improve. Meanwhile, it becomes clear that Sergio Pérez will not take part in the session again. The engine in the Mexican driver’s car is being replaced. Things are not going to plan for Max’s team-mate Isack Hadjar either. The Frenchman is running eighth at the halfway point and tells his team over the radio that this is the worst car he has driven this weekend.
Max spends some time in the pits, where the mechanics are working on the rear of his Red Bull. With twenty minutes remaining, the four-time world champion returns to the track. He records a 1:18.683, good enough for seventh place. That leaves him half a second behind the fastest driver at that point, Leclerc. In the closing stages, more and more drivers switch to the soft tyres. Norris is the first to break the 1:18 barrier with a 1:17.873. Antonelli then goes more than two tenths quicker. Max also attempts a fast lap on the soft rubber. With a purple first sector, he moves up to third, behind Norris. His deficit to Antonelli is still more than three tenths. A little later, Max expresses his frustration with the brakes over the team radio after missing a corner.
The Ferrari drivers need a little more time to improve their times on the soft tyres. Leclerc eventually manages it and climbs to second place. Hamilton cannot get beyond P6. In the end, Norris is one thousandth of a second quicker than Antonelli, taking the top spot. Antonelli finishes second, followed by Leclerc and Piastri in third and fourth. Max ends the session in fifth place. His final attempt does not produce any further improvement.
