Max fifth after first day in Mexico: 'The session could have gone a bit better'

Published on 31 October 2026 by Misha van der Kroon

After having to sit out the first free practice session in Mexico, with rookie Ayumu Iwasa taking his place in the car, Max Verstappen was able to get behind the wheel himself in the second practice session and familiarise himself with the newly resurfaced Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez. Charles Leclerc set the fastest time in his Ferrari, ahead of Lando Norris in the McLaren in P2 and George Russell in the Mercedes in P3. Kimi Antonelli’s Mercedes and Max completed the top five. Max’s Oracle Red Bull Racing teammate, Isack Hadjar, set the sixth-fastest time.

“The session could probably have gone a little bit better,” Max says after the second free practice session in Mexico. “But we are not too far off either. We just have a bit of fine-tuning to do, but I guess everyone will say that because the car doesn’t feel quite right. I don’t think anyone feels like they have a great time out there in terms of grip.”

The sun is shining as the session gets underway, with temperatures of 24 degrees Celsius making for pleasant conditions around the circuit. The track temperature is 38 degrees. The track is busy straight away, with nine drivers besides Max heading out to get their first laps in today. Oliver Bearman encounters immediate problems and has to bring his Haas back to the pits. The young Brit’s engine was changed earlier, and it remains to be seen whether everything went according to plan.

Max is also quick to head out, immediately taking to the track on a fresh set of soft tyres. The lead changes hands several times in the opening stages, but after around ten minutes both Ferraris occupy the top two positions, and things settle down at the front for the time being. However, Red Bull’s problems from previous races have yet to disappear. Max is once again experiencing issues with his team radio.

The Dutchman also runs into trouble on track when he gets involved in a battle with Liam Lawson in the Racing Bulls. The two make contact in the stadium section, damaging Max’s Red Bull. Debris from the incident leads to a brief red flag.

The session resumes with just over 40 minutes remaining. Fortunately, Max does not have to spend long in the garage while his car is repaired and is back on track a few minutes later. It soon becomes clear that the team has opted not to repair everything. The bargeboard on the left-hand side of his RB22 is completely missing, which is bound to affect the car’s handling. Max improves his lap time, but can only manage sixth place for now.

Halfway through the session, the teams switch to qualifying simulations. Shortly afterwards, Hamilton’s Ferrari comes to a stop, causing a Virtual Safety Car. The team instructs the Brit to stop the car. Norris is leading the way at this point, but once the track goes green again, Leclerc soon moves to the top of the timesheets.

Max has returned to the pits, and the question is whether Red Bull Racing will now carry out the necessary repairs. The Dutchman is a second off the pace and, when he heads back out with 20 minutes remaining, he has slipped back to 13th.

Once again, the car is sent out without the bargeboard on the left-hand side. Despite missing this aerodynamic component, Max significantly improves his time to move up to fifth, just three tenths of a second behind Leclerc, who leads the field. Max returns to the pits shortly afterwards and is one of the few drivers who has yet to begin a long run.

With just over 11 minutes remaining, Max is back on track and begins his race simulation, using a set of used soft tyres. This means that he has run exclusively on the soft compound throughout the session.

The fastest times remain unchanged. With Max and Lawson also due to report to the stewards after the session over their on-track contact, the first day in Mexico comes to a close.

Results second free practice Mexico: