Max Verstappen got a proper look at what's frustrating every driver on the grid at the Mexico City Grand Prix. The Red Bull Racing star sat out FP1 so rookie Ayumu Iwasa could get his mandatory practice time, but once Verstappen got behind the wheel in FP2, he became part of the session's biggest talking point. A collision with Racing Bulls driver Liam Lawson earned both of them one-place grid penalties after stewards decided neither was willing to back down on a non-flying lap.
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The incident left Verstappen nursing some damage to his left-hand bargeboard after jumping the inside kerb at Turn 14 while rejoining unsafely. That damage and lost downforce meant his FP2 pace wasn't genuine, finishing fifth, nearly three-tenths down on the pace. But here's what grabbed his attention: when he watched the onboard footage from his rivals afterward, he realized everyone's dealing with the exact same mess. The Mexico City circuit has serious grip issues this year, and the new 2026 F1 regulations are making it worse.
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The track's fresh asphalt from Turn 16 to Turn 1 is smoother than before and lacks rubber buildup, meaning there's barely anything for the tyres to grab onto. Throw in the smaller wings and reduced downforce of the current regulations, and you've got a recipe for constant sliding. Charles Leclerc of Ferrari topped FP2 with a 1:17.827, ahead of McLaren's Lando Norris, but Verstappen reckons even they're struggling. He watched their onboard cameras and saw the same story playing out.
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Verstappen was candid about the experience. He told Motorsport-Total that nobody's having an easy time with the grip levels out there. Even when drivers are pushing hard, the footage showed everyone wrestling with the sliding and hunting for traction. It's a completely different challenge compared to the ground-effect era, and Verstappen admitted it's not the most fun to drive, though he acknowledges it's something the field needs to understand better. Pirelli brought the three softest compounds available to try and help, but the damage was already done by Friday morning.
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