Lando Norris topped the timesheets in the third and final practice session for the Mexico City Grand Prix on Saturday, finishing just one thousandth of a second ahead of Kimi Antonelli, according to Clarin.com. Charles Leclerc, who had been quickest in Friday's running, ended the session third.
The session at the Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez was the last chance for teams to prepare for qualifying, which follows later on Saturday. Argentine driver Franco Colapinto finished 12th, 22 thousandths of a second in front of Alpine teammate Pierre Gasly, Clarin.com reported.
Why it matters
The final practice hour at Mexico City is the last real data point before qualifying, and the margins at the front were extraordinarily tight. Norris and Antonelli were separated by a single thousandth of a second, with Leclerc a further 117 thousandths back after appearing to gain time early in his final lap before backing off.
For Colapinto, the session offered a clearer picture of his one-lap pace than Friday had. Clarin.com reported that his only Friday practice run was completed with a heavy fuel load, so the final session was focused on improving single-lap speed for qualifying. The Argentine driver also worked on braking performance, particularly in the heavy braking zones that characterize parts of the circuit.
Colapinto's session in detail
Colapinto completed 13 laps in the session and improved on his initial benchmark, at one stage moving into tenth place, according to Clarin.com. His best time of 1m18s652 left him a second off Antonelli's provisional pace at that point in the session, and he reported positive feedback to his engineer Stuart Barlow over the radio.
There was one anxious moment when Oliver Bearman ran wide and rejoined the track just as Colapinto arrived close behind, leaving the two side by side through the corner. Colapinto had to lift to avoid contact, Clarin.com reported.
Gasly, meanwhile, set a time of 1m19s243 on the medium tire and ended the session 13th, 22 thousandths behind his teammate. The Frenchman lost his attempt on the softest compound after running off track. Both Alpine drivers spent part of the session on used medium tires with an emphasis on race pace rather than outright lap time.
At the front, the order shifted repeatedly in the closing stages. Max Verstappen briefly went fastest with a 1m17s873, 234 thousandths ahead of George Russell, before Antonelli displaced Norris with a 1m17s601. Norris then reclaimed the top spot by the smallest possible margin. Leclerc, who had been losing time on his final attempt, chose to abandon the lap.
Ocon exit shakes up the paddock
The session began against the backdrop of Esteban Ocon's early departure from Haas, which Clarin.com described as a shock running through the Mexico City paddock. Ocon's replacement, Ryo Hirakawa, finished 19th in the session.
Speculation about the seat occupied much of the paddock chatter in Mexico. According to Clarin.com, Hirakawa is due to contest the final round of the World Endurance Championship, the 6 Hours of Monza, next weekend, which would rule him out of Interlagos. Rafael Cámara, already announced as a Haas driver for 2027, had been scheduled to make his first Formula 1 practice appearance with Ferrari in Brazil, but Clarin.com reports that talk has begun about whether his race debut could be brought forward. Jack Doohan, another Haas reserve, is also mentioned as a possible option if Hirakawa races in Italy, though Clarin.com notes Toyota could push to keep a Japanese driver in Formula 1.
Clarin.com also raised the question of whether Ocon's exit is an early end to his tenure with five races still remaining, drawing a comparison with his departure from Alpine in 2024. The outlet noted the circumstances differ: Ocon had already agreed a deal with Haas for post-season testing at that time, so sitting out Abu Dhabi for Alpine was not a complication.
Verstappen and Lawson exchange words
Max Verstappen addressed his on-track contact with Liam Lawson during Friday's second practice, telling reporters that Lawson should not be picking a fight with him. "You're fighting for your seat, so you definitely shouldn't be looking for a fight with me," Clarin.com quoted the Dutchman as saying. Verstappen added that he has always supported Lawson and spoken positively about him within the team.
Separately, Clarin.com reported that a Red Bull driver received a formal warning from the stewards for pushing a guest in the paddock during the Mexico City weekend. The driver explained he was running late for first practice and, after stopping for a photo with a young fan, was approached aggressively by another person. The stewards found an infringement had occurred but took into account that the driver was reacting to an invasion of his personal space and did not have enough security to protect him, while also noting the difficulties drivers face moving through the paddock.
Off-track notes
Clarin.com also reported that Lewis Hamilton and Colapinto shared a stage at the Mexico Fan Zone, producing one of the weekend's more notable moments.
On the calendar, journalists accredited in the Mexico paddock reported that Formula 1 teams have been told November 10 — the Tuesday after the São Paulo Grand Prix — is the current deadline for approving a race at Imola on December 6. According to that reporting, if a decision against going to Qatar and Abu Dhabi is taken after that date, the season would end in Las Vegas.
Qualifying for the Mexico City Grand Prix is next, with the grid order to be settled later on Saturday.
