Leclerc tops Mexico GP practice as Ferrari's Hamilton retires; Antonelli leads Austin race

What's new

Autosport reported that Ferrari's Charles Leclerc topped the second practice session for the Formula 1 Mexico Grand Prix at Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez, setting a time of 1m17.827s and finishing ahead of McLaren's Lando Norris. Leclerc had also led the opening session, where he set 1m18.128s, six tenths faster than Mercedes' Kimi Antonelli. Autosport said Ferrari team-mate Lewis Hamilton retired during the Friday running. Separately, Autosport reported that Antonelli won the United States Grand Prix in Austin from pole position, holding off Leclerc and Red Bull's Max Verstappen after a clean one-stop race.

Why it matters

The Friday timings give an early read on the pace order for the Mexico weekend, while the Austin result adds to Antonelli's lead in the title race, which Autosport described as close to inevitable.

What others say

Sources differ on how the Mexico practice reports frame the session: one describes Leclerc as having a perfect Friday, while another notes that McLaren struggled for grip during the Austin practice. Autosport is the only outlet in the material provided.

What we don't know yet

The reports do not include the full Mexico qualifying or race results, and details of the Hamilton retirement beyond the fact of it are not in the sources.