Mexico City GP: Lando Norris sets storming final practice pace to leave title rivals trailing, Lewis Hamilton second

Lando Norris burst to the top of the timesheet in impressive fashion in final practice at the Mexico City Grand Prix to set himself up for a shot at pole in Saturday night’s qualifying session, with Lewis Hamilton second for Ferrari.

Having expressed concern about McLaren’s single-lap pace around the Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez at the end of Friday’s running, the British team and driver certainly found something special on their return to track on Saturday as they opened up an unexpectedly large gap over the field in the end-of-session soft-tyre runs

Norris uncorked a best lap of 1:16.633 which was 0.345s faster than surprise second-fastest runner Hamilton and half a second quicker than the rest – including his two title rivals.

Norris’ championship-leading team-mate Oscar Piastri, who leads the Briton by 14 points in the standings, and Red Bull’s in-form Max Verstappen finished in distant fifth and sixth positions respectively. It was a particularly concerning gap for Piastri given they are driving the same car.

“Lando has been on fire in this session. Even on his race run yesterday,” said Sky Sports F1’s Karun Chandhok.

“He’s clearly in a good rhythm around this track. We are all talking about Verstappen hunting down the McLarens, but Lando is hunting down Oscar as well since Zandvoort.”

The leading runners had been separated by hundredths, rather than tenths, of a second earlier on the medium tyres earlier in the session before Norris’ stunning late burst on softs.

“Let’s wait and see when we get to qualifying if that kind of advantage from P3 still holds,” added Chandhok.

Although their final gap to Norris was big, Mercedes appear in the mix at the front too after lapping third fastest with George Russell. Team-mate Kimi Antonelli was within a tenth of him in seventh.

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Lewis Hamilton came off track three times during final practice ahead of the Mexico City Grand Prix

Charles Leclerc jumped into fourth with his final lap of the session, although this was still two tenths of a second slower than team-mate Hamilton, whose can be pleased with his soft-tyre lap in a performance which bodes well for his qualifying prospects.

Hamilton recovered well from a messy start to the session which saw the Briton outbrake himself and run off track three times.

Isack Hadjar was eighth for Racing Bulls but the Frenchman endured a fraught hour over team radio, twice lashing out at drivers – first Norris and then Alpine’s Pierre Gasly – for getting in his way, describing them each as “idiots”.

Yuki Tsunoda was ninth in the second Red Bull but just a tenth behind team leader Verstappen, with Sauber’s Gabriel Bortoleto rounding out the top 10.

Fernando Alonso completed the fewest laps of any driver, 12, and finished at the foot of the timesheet after an issue on the front-right of his Aston Martin ruled him out of the final soft-tyre runs.

Mexico City GP Practice Three Timesheet

Driver
Team
Time

1) Lando Norris
McLaren
1:16.633

2) Lewis Hamilton
Ferrari
+0.345

3) George Russell
Mercedes
+0.512

4) Charles Leclerc
Ferrari
+0.566

5) Oscar Piastri
McLaren
+0.599

6) Max Verstappen
Red Bull
+0.609

7) Kimi Antonelli
Mercedes
+0.620

8) Isack Hadjar
Racing Bulls
+0.763

9) Yuki Tsunoda
Red Bull
+0.782

10) Gabriel Bortoleto
Sauber
+0.893

11) Liam Lawson
Racing Bulls
+0.919

12) Esteban Ocon
Haas
+0.941

13) Lance Stroll
Aston Martin
+0.965

14) Nico Hulkenberg
Sauber
+1.031

15) Carlos Sainz
Williams
+1.168

16) Alex Albon
Williams
+1.361

17) Oliver Bearman
Haas
+1.413

18) Pierre Gasly
Alpine
+1.779

20) Franco Colapinto
Alpine
+1.948

20) Fernando Alonso
Aston Martin
+1.978

Sky Sports F1’s Mexico City GP schedule

Saturday October 25
9pm: Mexico City GP Qualifying build-up*
10pm: MEXICO CITY GP QUALIFYING*

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Look back at some of the most dramatic moments to have taken place at the Mexico City Grand Prix

Sunday October 26
6.30pm: Grand Prix Sunday: Mexico City GP build-up*
8pm: THE MEXICO CITY GRAND PRIX*
10pm: Chequered Flag: Mexico City GP reaction

*also on Sky Sports Main Event

Formula 1’s thrilling title race continues at the Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez for the Mexico City Grand Prix this weekend, live on Sky Sports F1. Stream Sky Sports with NOW – no contract, cancel anytime