Leclerc leads Mexico practice as Verstappen and Lawson collide

Charles Leclerc finished Friday on top at the Mexico City Grand Prix, but a collision between Max Verstappen and Liam Lawson drew attention away from the lap times. According to BBC Sport, the Ferrari driver led both practice sessions, with Lando Norris second in the later running and championship leader Kimi Antonelli fourth behind Mercedes team-mate George Russell.

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Verstappen and Lawson made side-to-side contact in the stadium section after negotiating three corners alongside each other. Verstappen criticised the Racing Bulls driver's actions, alleging that Lawson accelerated as he approached and tried to force him off the track at the hairpin. Racing Bulls team principal Alan Permane criticised both drivers, saying the confrontation was unnecessary. Both were summoned to the stewards; the BBC report did not provide a final ruling.

The dispute came as Lawson competes for a Racing Bulls seat next season. BBC Sport identified his current team-mate Arvid Lindblad and Formula 2 driver Nikola Tsolov as the other contenders for the team's two places. Lawson previously partnered Verstappen for two races at the start of 2025 before returning to the junior team. He also deputised for Isack Hadjar for three races this year after the Frenchman broke his wrist.

On the timing sheets, Leclerc's advantage over Norris was 0.103 seconds, with Russell another 0.003 seconds behind the McLaren. Antonelli finished 0.217 seconds off Leclerc's benchmark, ahead of Verstappen and Hadjar. Lindblad, Alpine's Pierre Gasly and Lawson occupied the next three positions, while Oscar Piastri completed the top 10. The results left drivers from four different teams in the leading six places.

Lewis Hamilton ended the session 11th after a technical problem stopped his Ferrari on track before he could complete his soft-tyre qualifying simulations. He also missed the longer running used to assess race performance. Hamilton said the car had felt good and that set-up changes had improved it, while Russell identified Ferrari as the strongest team at that stage of the weekend.

Antonelli remains positioned to secure his first world championship on Sunday. According to the BBC's calculation, only a Russell or Hamilton victory can keep the title contest alive. Even in those circumstances, ninth place would be enough for Antonelli if Russell wins, while 10th would suffice if Hamilton takes victory.