Charles Leclerc continued Ferrari's strong form at Mexico City, topping the second practice session with a 1m 17.827s and holding off some seriously quick competition. Lando Norris and George Russell both came incredibly close, finishing within a tenth of a second of the Monegasque driver's time. It was a proper battle up front, with these three separated by such tight margins that any of them could realistically claim the top spot come qualifying.
More F1 news: Leclerc Leads Mexico Practice One-Two as Verstappen and Lawson's Red Flag Drama Steals the Show
Friday's running was properly eventful though. Ten drivers gave up their seats for the opening hour to let rookies get track time, which meant chaos in the pit lane when everyone tried to get back out for the second session. Haas had an early scare when Esteban Ocon lost power steering on his installation laps, while Max Verstappen and Liam Lawson had a nasty coming together at Turn 12 that actually brought out a red flag. The pair went side-by-side through the corner and neither backed down, resulting in contact and debris scattered across the track. Verstappen rejoined action later, though the stewards took a close look at the incident.
More F1 news: Leclerc Dominates Mexico FP2 Again as Hamilton's Technical Gremlins Strike
Things got worse for Ferrari when Lewis Hamilton suddenly lost all power on track during the session. He radioed that something went wrong from Turn 13 onward, and the team immediately ordered him to stop the car, which brought out a Virtual Safety Car. It meant Hamilton had to park up early and miss the final chunk of practice, leaving him well down the order for the day. That's a proper headache for the team heading into Saturday.
More F1 news: Leclerc On Top in Mexico FP2 as Verstappen and Lawson Clash at Turn One
Kimi Antonelli rounded out the top four for Mercedes, while Verstappen recovered to fifth despite his earlier drama. Isack Hadjar took sixth in the other Red Bull, ahead of Arvid Lindblad and Pierre Gasly. Leclerc's pace throughout Friday, topping both sessions, gives Ferrari a real confidence boost as the title fight swirls around them. Saturday's qualifying will tell us if this speed translates when it matters most.
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