The Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez proved to be a crucible of speed and strategy during the final practice session for the 2025 Mexican Grand Prix, where McLaren’s Lando Norris emerged as the undeniable pace-setter. In a display of masterful driving, Norris delivered a lap that left his rivals struggling to keep up, firmly establishing himself as a formidable contender for pole position in qualifying.
As the session progressed, track temperatures soared to a challenging 47 degrees Celsius, creating demanding conditions for both drivers and machinery. This elevated heat significantly impacted tyre degradation and overall car performance, adding another layer of complexity to the teams’ preparations. Most drivers opted for a patient approach, conserving their softer tyre compounds until the crucial final fifteen minutes, when the focus shifted dramatically towards simulating qualifying runs. This strategic delay led to a flurry of blistering lap times as teams pushed their cars to the limit in search of optimal performance.
Early in the session, with drivers experimenting on the medium tyre compound, lap times among the leading contenders showed a remarkable convergence, indicating tight competition at the top. However, this pattern began to diverge once teams switched to the quicker, softer Pirelli compounds, revealing the true pecking order and the varying abilities of drivers to extract maximum pace under pressure.
Racing Bulls’ Isack Hadjar initially set a strong benchmark, hinting at the potential of the midfield teams. His time was swiftly surpassed by McLaren’s Oscar Piastri, who demonstrated a significant improvement after languishing outside the top ten on the medium tyres. Piastri’s ability to adapt and find pace on the softs underlined McLaren’s competitive package, setting the stage for his teammate’s subsequent heroics.
Defending champion Max Verstappen, who had dominated Friday’s practice sessions, managed to match Piastri’s time, showcasing Red Bull’s consistent performance. However, what truly caught the eye was the impressive performance of his teammate, Yuki Tsunoda, who managed to stay remarkably close to Verstappen’s pace – a rare occurrence that signals potential strategic advantages or a leap in Tsunoda’s confidence and setup mastery.
The Ferrari camp also showed moments of brilliance and struggle. Charles Leclerc managed to narrowly edge out Piastri’s time, suggesting the Scuderia had found some rhythm. Yet, it was his teammate, Lewis Hamilton, who navigated a more tumultuous session. Hamilton grappled with braking issues at turns one and three on several occasions, visibly struggling to bring his Ferrari SF-25 under control. Despite these initial challenges, the veteran Briton ultimately pieced together a sublime lap on the soft tyres, clocking a 1’16.978, which placed him a strong two-tenths of a second ahead of Leclerc and briefly at the top of the leaderboard.
However, Hamilton’s reign at the summit was short-lived. Lando Norris then unleashed a truly sensational, clean, and utterly drama-free lap on the soft tyres. His impressive 1’16.633 shattered the previous benchmarks, creating a significant gap to the rest of the field. This dominant performance left him half a second quicker than anyone else, with only Lewis Hamilton being within striking distance, albeit still more than three-tenths adrift. Norris’s exceptional pace signals a strong weekend for McLaren and marks him out as a favourite for qualifying, potentially setting the tone for the entire event at the high-altitude circuit.
In contrast to the front-runners, Fernando Alonso faced a particularly frustrating session. The Aston Martin driver sank to the bottom of the timesheets after his team identified a problem at the front-right corner of his AMR25. Despite the setback, Alonso and his teammate Lance Stroll were observed undertaking several single-lap runs across a wide array of tyre compounds. This unusual strategy suggests Aston Martin was focusing on comprehensive tyre preparation for both the demanding qualifying session and the gruelling Grand Prix race, perhaps sacrificing outright pace in FP3 for crucial data gathering on tyre behaviour and degradation over different stints.
The challenging conditions and varied tyre strategies throughout the session have set the stage for a thrilling qualifying battle. While Lando Norris clearly holds a significant advantage after FP3, the compact nature of the top contenders’ times suggests that small margins and perfect execution will be key. The Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez, with its unique blend of long straights and intricate technical sections, demands precision and strategic acumen, making every tenth of a second critical. Teams will now analyse the vast amounts of data collected to fine-tune their setups, aiming to unlock those precious milliseconds that could mean the difference between pole position and a challenging starting grid.
2025 Mexican Grand Prix Third Practice Result
The table below provides a comprehensive overview of the individual performances during the third and final practice session. Lando Norris’s commanding lead is evident, with Lewis Hamilton and George Russell closely trailing. The margins in the top half of the grid highlight the intense competition and the importance of optimal car setup and driver skill on this unique circuit.
| P. | # | Driver | Team | Model | Time | Gap | Laps |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 4 | Lando Norris | McLaren-Mercedes | MCL39 | 1’16.633 | 22 | |
| 2 | 44 | Lewis Hamilton | Ferrari | SF-25 | 1’16.978 | 0.345 | 29 |
| 3 | 63 | George Russell | Mercedes | W16 | 1’17.145 | 0.512 | 19 |
| 4 | 16 | Charles Leclerc | Ferrari | SF-25 | 1’17.199 | 0.566 | 26 |
| 5 | 81 | Oscar Piastri | McLaren-Mercedes | MCL39 | 1’17.232 | 0.599 | 23 |
| 6 | 1 | Max Verstappen | Red Bull-Honda RBPT | RB21 | 1’17.242 | 0.609 | 30 |
| 7 | 12 | Andrea Kimi Antonelli | Mercedes | W16 | 1’17.253 | 0.620 | 19 |
| 8 | 6 | Isack Hadjar | Racing Bulls-Honda RBPT | 02 | 1’17.396 | 0.763 | 19 |
| 9 | 22 | Yuki Tsunoda | Red Bull-Honda RBPT | RB21 | 1’17.415 | 0.782 | 23 |
| 10 | 5 | Gabriel Bortoleto | Sauber-Ferrari | C45 | 1’17.526 | 0.893 | 24 |
| 11 | 30 | Liam Lawson | Racing Bulls-Honda RBPT | 02 | 1’17.552 | 0.919 | 20 |
| 12 | 31 | Esteban Ocon | Haas-Ferrari | VF-25 | 1’17.574 | 0.941 | 26 |
| 13 | 18 | Lance Stroll | Aston Martin-Mercedes | AMR25 | 1’17.598 | 0.965 | 23 |
| 14 | 27 | Nico Hulkenberg | Sauber-Ferrari | C45 | 1’17.664 | 1.031 | 25 |
| 15 | 55 | Carlos Sainz Jnr | Williams-Mercedes | FW47 | 1’17.801 | 1.168 | 24 |
| 16 | 23 | Alexander Albon | Williams-Mercedes | FW47 | 1’17.994 | 1.361 | 20 |
| 17 | 87 | Oliver Bearman | Haas-Ferrari | VF-25 | 1’18.046 | 1.413 | 23 |
| 18 | 10 | Pierre Gasly | Alpine-Renault | A525 | 1’18.412 | 1.779 | 24 |
| 19 | 43 | Franco Colapinto | Alpine-Renault | A525 | 1’18.581 | 1.948 | 22 |
| 20 | 14 | Fernando Alonso | Aston Martin-Mercedes | AMR25 | 1’18.611 | 1.978 | 12 |
Become a RaceFans supporter and go ad-free
2025 Mexican Grand Prix Combined Practice Times
For a complete picture of the teams’ and drivers’ performance throughout the entire practice weekend, the combined times from Free Practice 1, 2, and 3 offer valuable insight. While Lando Norris topped FP3, his consistent improvement across sessions, as seen in the bolded FP3 times, underscores his growing confidence and the competitive edge of the McLaren package. These combined figures help to identify who has been consistently fast and who has found significant improvements as the weekend progressed, crucial data for predicting qualifying and race outcomes.
| P. | # | Driver | Team | FP1 time | FP2 time | FP3 time | Gap | Laps |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 4 | Lando Norris | McLaren-Mercedes | 1’17.643 | 1’16.633 | 53 | ||
| 2 | 44 | Lewis Hamilton | Ferrari | 1’17.692 | 1’16.978 | 0.345 | 59 | |
| 3 | 63 | George Russell | Mercedes | 1’17.829 | 1’17.145 | 0.512 | 52 | |
| 4 | 16 | Charles Leclerc | Ferrari | 1’18.380 | 1’17.545 | 1’17.199 | 0.566 | 87 |
| 5 | 81 | Oscar Piastri | McLaren-Mercedes | 1’18.784 | 1’18.232 | 1’17.232 | 0.599 | 85 |
| 6 | 1 | Max Verstappen | Red Bull-Honda RBPT | 1’17.392 | 1’17.242 | 0.609 | 64 | |
| 7 | 12 | Andrea Kimi Antonelli | Mercedes | 1’18.487 | 1’17.566 | 1’17.253 | 0.620 | 81 |
| 8 | 6 | Isack Hadjar | Racing Bulls-Honda RBPT | 1’19.409 | 1’18.281 | 1’17.396 | 0.763 | 81 |
| 9 | 22 | Yuki Tsunoda | Red Bull-Honda RBPT | 1’19.090 | 1’17.883 | 1’17.415 | 0.782 | 83 |
| 10 | 5 | Gabriel Bortoleto | Sauber-Ferrari | 1’18.916 | 1’18.323 | 1’17.526 | 0.893 | 82 |
| 11 | 30 | Liam Lawson | Racing Bulls-Honda RBPT | 1’18.218 | 1’17.552 | 0.919 | 52 | |
| 12 | 31 | Esteban Ocon | Haas-Ferrari | 1’19.038 | 1’18.266 | 1’17.574 | 0.941 | 86 |
| 13 | 18 | Lance Stroll | Aston Martin-Mercedes | 1’17.954 | 1’17.598 | 0.965 | 53 | |
| 14 | 27 | Nico Hulkenberg | Sauber-Ferrari | 1’18.760 | 1’18.348 | 1’17.664 | 1.031 | 81 |
| 15 | 55 | Carlos Sainz Jnr | Williams-Mercedes | 1’17.939 | 1’17.801 | 1.168 | 58 | |
| 16 | 14 | Fernando Alonso | Aston Martin-Mercedes | 1’19.472 | 1’17.938 | 1’18.611 | 1.305 | 67 |
| 17 | 23 | Alexander Albon | Williams-Mercedes | 1’19.384 | 1’18.855 | 1’17.994 | 1.361 | 84 |
| 18 | 87 | Oliver Bearman | Haas-Ferrari | 1’18.442 | 1’18.046 | 1.413 | 57 | |
| 19 | 10 | Pierre Gasly | Alpine-Renault | 1’19.194 | 1’18.412 | 1.779 | 54 | |
| 20 | 43 | Franco Colapinto | Alpine-Renault | 1’19.331 | 1’18.721 | 1’18.581 | 1.948 | 81 |
| 21 | 36 | Arvid Lindblad | Red Bull-Honda RBPT | 1’18.997 | 2.364 | 26 | ||
| 22 | 89 | Pato O’Ward | McLaren-Mercedes | 1’19.680 | 3.047 | 30 | ||
| 23 | 72 | Frederik Vesti | Mercedes | 1’19.689 | 3.056 | 32 | ||
| 24 | 61 | Paul Aron | Alpine-Renault | 1’19.862 | 3.229 | 29 | ||
| 25 | 50 | Ryo Hirakawa | Haas-Ferrari | 1’20.073 | 3.440 | 27 | ||
| 26 | 40 | Ayumu Iwasa | Racing Bulls-Honda RBPT | 1’20.153 | 3.520 | 29 | ||
| 27 | 46 | Luke Browning | Williams-Mercedes | 1’20.310 | 3.677 | 31 | ||
| 28 | 35 | Jak Crawford | Aston Martin-Mercedes | 1’20.371 | 3.738 | 29 | ||
| 29 | 38 | Antonio Fuoco | Ferrari | 1’20.854 | 4.221 | 29 |
Become a RaceFans supporter and go ad-free
2025 Mexican Grand Prix
Delve deeper into the latest news and analysis from the 2025 Mexican Grand Prix, including driver insights, team strategies, and behind-the-scenes stories:
- F1 fans shocked as ferry company screens “adult film” by mistake
- Russell: Lack of penalties over corner-cutting was ‘especially unfair for Lewis’
- Williams aim to give Albon more “consistent” car after consecutive Q1 exits
- Lawson “not at fault” for marshal incident says FIA following criticism from Mexico’s OMDAI
- Stats: Norris takes F1’s biggest win for two years as Ferrari go win-less for 12 months
Browse all 2025 Mexican Grand Prix articles