2025 Mexico City GP FP3: Norris Sets the Benchmark as Title Rivals Falter

Lando Norris delivered a commanding performance in Free Practice 3 at the 2025 Mexico City Grand Prix, topping the timesheets with a stunning 1:16.633 to lead Ferrari’s Lewis Hamilton by more than three-tenths. George Russell completed the top three for Mercedes as the final practice session set up a tense battle for pole position later today. While Norris looked smooth and in control, his key 2025 F1 World Championship rivals — Oscar Piastri and Max Verstappen — struggled to find the same rhythm, finishing fifth and sixth respectively.

The one-hour session at the Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez began under bright skies, with Verstappen the first to set a representative time as he looked to recover from Friday’s mixed form. Hamilton, pushing hard early, flirted with the limits — running deep at Turn 4 and briefly taking to the grass at Turn 1 — as he and Ferrari worked through setup tweaks following a strong FP2 showing. Meanwhile, Carlos Sainz was the first to bolt on the soft tyres, setting an early benchmark of 1:18.028, before Norris joined the fray, slotting into third behind Sainz and Verstappen during the opening phase.

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As the track evolved and the field switched to qualifying simulations, lap times tumbled. Norris initially went quickest on Mediums with a 1:18.015, while teammate Piastri remained a few tenths adrift, struggling to extract grip from the high-altitude surface. In the mid-session running, Verstappen focused on a long stint on the Medium compound, complaining of a lack of traction as Russell reported that he was “sliding all over the place.” For a brief period, the top six — including Norris, Sainz, Russell, Verstappen, Leclerc, and Hadjar — were separated by an astonishing 0.065s, reflecting just how tight the midfield was.

The times soon began to tumble again. Russell broke into the 1m17s with a 1:17.892, only for Isack Hadjar and Piastri to go faster, with the Australian lowering the mark to 1:17.315. But as the soft-tyre shootout intensified, Ferrari and McLaren traded top spots. Leclerc and Antonelli briefly led before Hamilton became the first driver of the weekend to dip under the 1:17 barrier with a 1:16.978 — only for Norris to deliver a stunning final lap of 1:16.633, securing the fastest time of the session and reaffirming his title credentials.

Behind the top three of Norris, Hamilton, and Russell came Leclerc in fourth, ahead of Piastri and Verstappen — the Red Bull driver reporting “no grip, front and rear” as he struggled to match McLaren’s balance and Ferrari’s traction. Antonelli, once again quietly impressive, was just a tenth behind Verstappen in seventh. Hadjar continued his strong weekend in eighth for Racing Bulls, with Yuki Tsunoda and Gabriel Bortoleto rounding out the top ten.

Further back, Liam Lawson and Esteban Ocon led the midfield fight, followed by Lance Stroll, Nico Hülkenberg, and Carlos Sainz, who ended 15th for Williams after his early-session promise faded. Alex Albon struggled with power issues in 16th, while Ollie Bearman, Pierre Gasly, and Franco Colapinto filled the lower order. Fernando Alonso brought up the rear in 20th after Aston Martin reported a small front-right issue that curtailed his running.

With FP3 complete, Norris held the psychological edge heading into qualifying, while Verstappen and Piastri had work to do to rediscover their form.

2025 Mexico City GP FP3 Results

2025 Mexico City Grand Prix FP3, 25 October 2025