Overview
- Max Verstappen topped Mexico FP2 in 1:17.392, with Charles Leclerc second and Kimi Antonelli third, while Lando Norris took fourth and points leader Oscar Piastri was only 12th after aborting his soft‑tyre flier.
- Red Bull cautioned that one‑lap speed masked weak long‑run grip, particularly on the medium tyre, with Verstappen and Helmut Marko warning the RB21 struggled to build traction.
- Ferrari led a rookie‑heavy FP1 as Leclerc set the pace and nine teams ran young drivers, highlighted by Red Bull junior Arvid Lindblad placing sixth in Verstappen’s car.
- Kimi Antonelli reported an electronic ‘emergency mode’ early in FP2 but Mercedes fixed the issue in the garage, and the rookie returned to complete 27 laps and finish P3.
- In MotoGP, Friday ended with Pedro Acosta fastest despite two crashes before Ducati rebounded in qualifying as Francesco Bagnaia secured pole, coinciding with FIM rules banning remounts in the last three minutes and pit‑lane slalom tyre warm‑ups.