Leclerc fastest again in second practice in Mexico City as Verstappen and Lawson get grid penalties
Charles Leclerc was quickest in the second free practice of the Formula 1 Mexican Grand Prix. Max Verstappen and Liam Lawson received one-place grid penalties for Sunday's race after a collision.
Ferrari driver Charles Leclerc set the fastest lap in the second free practice session of the Mexican Grand Prix in Mexico City, a round of Formula 1, the top level of single-seater motor racing. The session also featured a collision between drivers from the two Red Bull-family teams, and both have been given grid penalties for Sunday's race.
Results
Leclerc posted a time of 1:17.827. McLaren's Lando Norris finished only marginally behind, and Mercedes driver George Russell completed the top three. The leading trio therefore came from three different teams.
Trouble in the Ferrari camp
The session was not trouble-free for Ferrari. Leclerc's teammate Lewis Hamilton suffered a loss of engine power and stopped his car early on track, which brought out a virtual safety car. Other drivers, Leclerc among them, struggled with locking tyres and mistakes in corners.
The Verstappen and Lawson incident
The incident that drew the most attention involved four-time world champion Max Verstappen and Liam Lawson at the start of the stadium section. Contact damaged the sides of Verstappen's car, and red flags were shown, halting the session.
Following lengthy discussions and an investigation, stewards of the FIA, motorsport's international governing body, described the drivers' conduct as "unacceptable and clumsy". They said such a fight in free practice goes against the instructions given before the session.
As a result, both Verstappen and Lawson received a one-place grid penalty for Sunday's race. Each driver was also given one penalty point on their superlicence.
