The battle for supremacy at the 2026 Formula 1 Mexico City Grand Prix took another dramatic turn on Saturday as McLaren’s Lando Norris narrowly defeated Mercedes youngster Andrea Kimi Antonelli in the final practice session. The reigning world champion recorded the fastest lap, beating Antonelli by an incredibly small margin of just 0.001 seconds.
The result highlighted how competitive the field has become ahead of qualifying, with several leading teams showing promising pace at the Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez. However, the biggest talking point was not simply Norris finishing at the top of the timesheets, but the extraordinary closeness between the McLaren driver and Antonelli.
With Antonelli potentially on the verge of securing his maiden Formula 1 world championship, the final practice session provided an intriguing preview of what could become a memorable weekend.
NORRIS EDGES ANTONELLI IN AN INCREDIBLY CLOSE FP3 BATTLE
Lando Norris delivered an impressive performance in Saturday’s final practice session, setting the fastest time ahead of Mercedes driver Kimi Antonelli.
The gap between the two drivers was just 0.001 seconds, demonstrating how little separated McLaren and Mercedes over a single flying lap.
Norris, who is defending his world championship title, appeared comfortable behind the wheel of his McLaren as he prepared for the crucial qualifying session.
Antonelli also continued his impressive form, having already demonstrated strong pace throughout the weekend. The Mercedes youngster was unable to beat Norris by the smallest possible margin, but his second-place finish reinforced his position as a serious contender for pole position.
The result also adds another interesting dimension to the championship battle. Antonelli is approaching a potentially historic moment in his Formula 1 career, and his performance in Mexico suggests that he has the speed to compete at the front.
KIMI ANTONELLI CLOSE TO MAKING FORMULA 1 HISTORY
While Norris celebrated topping the final practice timesheets, much of the attention remained on Antonelli and his championship opportunity.
According to the championship scenario outlined ahead of Sunday’s race, the Mercedes driver will become the youngest world champion in Formula 1 history if he finishes inside the top nine.
Even if his closest championship rival and Mercedes teammate, George Russell, wins the Mexican Grand Prix, Antonelli would still secure the title by achieving that result.
This puts the young Italian in a particularly interesting position heading into qualifying and the race.
Rather than needing to take unnecessary risks, Antonelli could approach the weekend with a calculated strategy focused on securing a strong starting position and collecting the points required to achieve his objective.
However, Formula 1 is unpredictable, especially at a circuit like Mexico City, where tyre management, altitude, traffic and race incidents can dramatically influence the outcome.
His near-identical pace to Norris in FP3 should give Mercedes plenty of encouragement.
LECLERC LEADS FERRARI’S CHALLENGE BUT TYRE PERFORMANCE RAISES QUESTIONS
Charles Leclerc finished third, continuing Ferrari’s encouraging performance from Friday’s practice sessions.
The Monegasque driver had topped both Friday sessions and appeared particularly competitive on the medium-compound tyres.
However, Ferrari encountered difficulties when switching to the softer tyres, which are generally expected to provide additional grip and improved lap times.
Leclerc needed several attempts before producing his best lap, finishing 0.117 seconds behind Norris.
His teammate Lewis Hamilton also experienced difficulties extracting maximum performance from the Ferrari.
Hamilton finished sixth, almost half a second behind the fastest time. A significant slide coming out of the final corner compromised his quickest attempt.
Ferrari’s performance therefore presents an interesting question ahead of qualifying.
The team has demonstrated that its car possesses considerable pace, but its difficulties on the soft tyres could become a concern when drivers begin fighting for the best grid positions.
If Ferrari cannot resolve the issue, both Leclerc and Hamilton could struggle to challenge McLaren and Mercedes over one lap.
Nevertheless, Ferrari should not be dismissed. Its performance on the medium tyres suggests that it could remain competitive over longer race distances.
OSCAR PIASTRI KEEPS MCLAREN IN A STRONG POSITION
Oscar Piastri finished fourth in the second McLaren, completing another encouraging session for the Woking-based team.
The Australian was 0.196 seconds behind his teammate Norris, giving McLaren two cars inside the top four.
This is an important development because McLaren appears to have the speed to challenge Mercedes and Ferrari in qualifying.
Having both drivers near the front also provides the team with additional strategic possibilities for Sunday.
Piastri may not have matched Norris’s pace, but his fourth-place finish suggests that McLaren’s competitiveness is not dependent on one driver alone.
The team will now be hoping to convert its promising practice performance into a strong qualifying result.
MAX VERSTAPPEN STILL STRUGGLING AS RED BULL FACES MORE QUESTIONS
Max Verstappen endured another frustrating session, finishing fifth in FP3.
The four-time world champion was approximately three-tenths of a second away from Norris’s leading time.
Although fifth place keeps him within the leading group, Verstappen appeared unhappy with the performance of his Red Bull.
His weekend has already been complicated by his collision with Liam Lawson during Friday’s second practice session.
Both drivers were subsequently handed one-place grid penalties for their involvement in the incident.
Verstappen’s penalty could prove particularly costly if he manages to qualify near the front.
At a circuit where overtaking opportunities can be limited by traffic and the characteristics of the track, losing a grid position could make his race considerably more difficult.
Red Bull will need to improve its performance if Verstappen is to challenge for victory.
The Dutchman remains one of the most experienced and formidable drivers on the grid, but his frustration suggests that the team still has work to do.
GEORGE RUSSELL FINISHES SEVENTH AS MERCEDES LOOKS TOWARDS QUALIFYING
George Russell could only manage seventh in the final practice session.
While his teammate Antonelli finished second, Russell struggled to match the pace of the leading drivers.
The difference between the two Mercedes drivers will undoubtedly attract attention, particularly because of the championship implications surrounding Antonelli.
Russell remains an important part of Mercedes’ weekend plans, but the final practice results suggest that Antonelli currently has the stronger momentum.
Red Bull’s Isack Hadjar finished eighth, followed by Liam Lawson in ninth.
Arvid Lindblad completed the top ten for Racing Bulls.
The results indicate that the midfield battle could also become highly competitive during qualifying.
RYO HIRAKAWA REPLACES ESTEBAN OCON AT HAAS IN SHOCK DEVELOPMENT
One of the biggest surprises of the Mexico City Grand Prix weekend came from Haas.
Ryo Hirakawa unexpectedly replaced Esteban Ocon in the team’s driver line-up midway through the weekend.
The Japanese driver finished 19th, approximately half a second behind his Haas teammate Ollie Bearman.
Haas had dropped Ocon on Saturday morning, despite the Frenchman having participated in Friday’s practice sessions.
The sudden decision immediately generated speculation about what had happened behind the scenes.
Ocon is already expected to leave Haas at the end of the season, but the timing of his replacement raised questions about whether there had been an internal disagreement.
There was also attention surrounding an apparent dispute between Ocon and his race engineer during FP2.
However, the precise reason behind Haas’ decision was not established in the practice report.
Whatever the explanation, replacing a driver in the middle of a Grand Prix weekend is a significant decision.
Hirakawa faces the difficult task of adapting to the car, understanding the team’s procedures and delivering competitive performance with limited preparation.
His 19th-place finish should be viewed in the context of the unusual circumstances surrounding his sudden appearance.
TECHNICAL PROBLEMS RUIN FP3 FOR SERGIO PEREZ AND GABRIEL BORTOLETO
The final practice session also delivered disappointment for Audi and Cadillac.
Gabriel Bortoleto and Sergio Perez failed to complete any laps during FP3 after technical problems affected their respective cars.
Both teams reportedly decided to carry out precautionary power unit changes.
The decision meant that Bortoleto and Perez finished 21st and 22nd respectively, without recording a lap time.
Missing the final practice session is a significant disadvantage ahead of qualifying.
Drivers normally use FP3 to evaluate their car balance, understand tyre behaviour and make final adjustments before the competitive sessions begin.
Without that opportunity, both drivers will have to depend heavily on information gathered during earlier running.
For Perez, competing at his home Grand Prix makes the setback particularly disappointing.
The Mexican driver would undoubtedly have wanted more time on track in front of his home supporters.
MEXICO GP QUALIFYING: WHAT SHOULD FANS EXPECT?
The FP3 results suggest that qualifying could produce a fascinating battle between McLaren and Mercedes.
Norris has demonstrated that he possesses the pace to challenge for pole position, but Antonelli’s performance shows that Mercedes is equally capable of fighting at the front.
Ferrari also remains a potential threat, although its difficulties with the soft tyres could influence its qualifying performance.
Several factors will determine the outcome.
TYRE MANAGEMENT: Ferrari’s difficulties extracting maximum performance from the soft tyres could become a decisive issue.
TRACK POSITION: The Mexico City circuit can make qualifying traffic particularly frustrating, meaning drivers must find clean air at the right moment.
GRID PENALTIES: Verstappen and Lawson will have to account for their one-place penalties when planning their qualifying efforts.
CHAMPIONSHIP PRESSURE: Antonelli has an opportunity to make history, but he must avoid unnecessary mistakes.
OUR VERDICT: NORRIS HAS MOMENTUM, BUT ANTONELLI COULD STILL STEAL THE SHOW
Lando Norris deserves credit for finishing FP3 at the top of the timesheets, particularly after beating Antonelli by such an incredibly small margin.
However, the result should not automatically make McLaren the favourite for pole position.
Antonelli has demonstrated remarkable consistency throughout the weekend, while Ferrari’s pace on medium tyres suggests that Leclerc could also become a major threat.
The biggest question is whether Mercedes can maintain its performance when the pressure increases during qualifying.
For Norris, securing pole position would be an important statement as the reigning world champion.
For Antonelli, however, the weekend could represent something much bigger: an opportunity to become the youngest Formula 1 world champion in history.
Verstappen’s struggles and grid penalty also create an opening for the leading contenders.
Our prediction is that Norris and Antonelli will remain among the strongest contenders for pole position, with Leclerc capable of challenging if Ferrari solves its soft-tyre difficulties.
The Mexican Grand Prix weekend is shaping up to deliver another fascinating chapter in the 2026 Formula 1 season.
CONCLUSION
Lando Norris topped the final practice session for the 2026 Mexico City Grand Prix after beating Kimi Antonelli by just 0.001 seconds.
Charles Leclerc finished third, followed by Oscar Piastri and Max Verstappen, while Lewis Hamilton and George Russell occupied sixth and seventh respectively.
Away from the battle at the front, Haas’ unexpected replacement of Esteban Ocon with Ryo Hirakawa and the technical problems affecting Sergio Perez and Gabriel Bortoleto provided additional talking points.
With qualifying approaching and Antonelli potentially on the verge of a historic championship achievement, all eyes will now turn to the next competitive session in Mexico City.
SEO META DESCRIPTION: Lando Norris beats Kimi Antonelli by just 0.001 seconds in Mexico GP FP3. Read the full F1 practice analysis, Ferrari struggles, Verstappen’s penalty and Haas’ shock Ocon decision.
FOCUS KEYWORD: Lando Norris Mexico GP FP3
RELATED SEO KEYWORDS: 2026 Mexico City Grand Prix, Kimi Antonelli F1 championship, Mexico GP practice results, McLaren F1, Max Verstappen grid penalty, Ferrari F1, Esteban Ocon Haas replacement, Formula 1 qualifying.
