FP3 in Mexico City sees Red Bull dominate as Verstappen tops practice ahead of Saturday’s sprint
Red Bull locked out the top three in the final practice session for the 2026 Mexico City Grand Prix, with Verstappen fastest and the team setting the pace for the sprint weekend.
Mexico City’s high‑altitude circuit offered a blistering third practice session on Thursday, with Red Bull Racing sweeping the top three positions. Max Verstappen posted the fastest lap of the day, a 1:15.842 on medium tyres, cementing his status as the early favourite for the sprint race on Saturday.
Following Verstappen, teammate Sergio Pérez recorded a 1:15.967, while Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc managed a respectable third‑fastest time of 1:16.210. The gap between the Red Bull duo and the rest of the field was just under two‑tenths of a second, indicating that the team has found a strong setup for the thin air of the Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez.
Mercedes struggled to find grip, with Lewis Hamilton ending the session in ninth place (1:16.845) and George Russell in eleventh (1:16.987). The German outfit’s pace deficit was attributed to a combination of tyre temperature issues and a sub‑optimal aerodynamic configuration for the circuit’s long straights. Meanwhile, Alpine’s Esteban Ocon and Alpine’s newcomer, Oscar Piastri, both broke into the top ten, suggesting the French team may be a dark horse for the sprint.
For Indian fans, the FP3 session wrapped up at 02:30 IST. The sprint race will take place on Saturday at 13:00 IST, and the main Grand Prix is scheduled for Sunday at 14:00 IST. All sessions will be streamed live on FanCode, which also offers a dedicated commentary feed for Indian viewers. Those looking to follow the action on television can tune in to the Star Sports network, which holds the broadcast rights for F1 in India.
The strong performance by Red Bull in practice sets the tone for a sprint weekend that could see a repeat of last year’s dominant display. However, the midfield battle appears tighter than ever, with Alpine, McLaren and Aston Martin all within a second of the leaders. As the teams head into qualifying, tyre strategy and altitude‑adjusted engine maps will be crucial factors.
Source: Formula1.com