Norris Edges Antonelli by 0.001s in Ultra-Tight Mexico City FP3
Lando Norris topped FP3 by just 0.001s from Kimi Antonelli, with Charles Leclerc third. The margin between top contenders was razor-thin; power unit issues sidelined Bortoleto and Perez. Verstappen and Lawson entered qualifying with one-place grid penalties from Friday's collision.
FP3 Classification
Lando Norris finished fastest in the session, ahead of Kimi Antonelli by just 0.001s, with the Ferrari of Charles Leclerc taking third .[1]
| Position | Driver | Team | Best Lap | Gap |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Lando Norris | McLaren | 1:17.600 | , |
| 2 | Kimi Antonelli | Mercedes | 1:17.601 | +0.001s |
| 3 | Charles Leclerc | Ferrari | 1:17.717 | +0.117s |
| 4 | Oscar Piastri | McLaren | 1:17.795 | +0.195s |
| 5 | Max Verstappen | Red Bull | 1:17.951 | +0.351s |
| 6 | Lewis Hamilton | Ferrari | 1:18.069 | +0.469s |
| 7 | George Russell | Mercedes | 1:18.107 | +0.507s |
| 8 | Isack Hadjar | Red Bull | 1:18.109 | +0.509s |
| 9 | Liam Lawson | Racing Bulls | 1:18.113 | +0.513s |
| 10 | Arvid Lindblad | Racing Bulls | 1:18.137 | +0.537s |
Session Summary
The Briton posted a 1m 17.600s in the final minutes at the Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez on Saturday, leaving him just 0.001s clear of Antonelli, with Leclerc just one-tenth back. [2] Practice pace is indicative only; these timings do not predict qualifying or race performance.
The switch to soft tyre-runs came late in the session for the rest of the field, with Mercedes, McLaren, Red Bull and Ferrari having all run close together in lap time throughout. [3]
Grid Penalties and Incidents
Max Verstappen and Liam Lawson began their Saturday programmes carrying a one-place grid penalty, after what the FIA stewards described as a "clumsy" clash during second practice. [5]
Power Unit Troubles
Gabriel Bortoleto reporting a power unit problem before smoke emerged from the rear of his car .[4] Audi was forced to replace Gabriel Bortoleto's power unit after the driver reported an engine problem during final practice in Mexico City. [4] Sergio Pérez failed to set a timed lap in FP3 because of a precautionary power unit change. [4]
Both Bortoleto and Perez did not record timed laps in FP3, leaving them with minimal final practice data for qualifying preparation.
Related reading
https://www.formula1.com/en/latest/article/fp3-norris-pips-antonelli-and-leclerc-to-top-spot-in-final-practice-for-mexico-city-gp.1s5lDqpwmCBl5aqSGq4Ffn https://www.formula1.com/en/latest/article/fp3-norris-pips-antonelli-and-leclerc-to-top-spot-in-final-practice-for-mexico-city-gp.1s5lDqpwmCBl5aqSGq4Ffn https://www.planetf1.com/news/f1-results-mexico-grand-prix-2026-fp3 https://grandepremio.com/en/f1/audi-changes-bortoletos-f1-power-unit-after-smoke-and-engine-failure-in-mexican-gp-fp3/ https://www.planetf1.com/news/mexican-grand-prix-2026-fp3-report
- [1]FP3: Norris pips Antonelli and Leclerc to top spot in final practice for Mexico City GP (formula1). Accessed 2026-10-31.
- [2]F1 results: Mexican Grand Prix 2026 - FP3 (planetf1). Accessed 2026-10-31.
- [3]F1 2026 Mexico City Grand Prix - FP3 Results (motorsportweek). Accessed 2026-10-31.
- [4]Audi changes Bortoleto's F1 power unit after smoke and engine failure in Mexican GP FP3 (grandepremio). Accessed 2026-10-31.
- [5]Ferrari leads, Bortoleto suffers: Five things we learned from Mexico F1 practice (grandepremio). Accessed 2026-10-31.