Third Free Practice Report & Results 2025 Mexico F1 Grand Prix

Event: Mexico Grand Prix
Track: Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez

Weather: dry  23°C
Tarmac: dry  46°C
Humidity : 38%
Wind : 5 km/h East

A Hot and High-Stakes Saturday in Mexico City

The thin air of Mexico City once again played tricks on the drivers as the third and final practice session for the 2025 Formula 1 Mexican Grand Prix unfolded at the Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez. With 45°C track temperatures and a crowd buzzing for action, it was Lando Norris who stole the show, and perhaps a bit of Max Verstappen’s confidence, with a commanding performance for McLaren.

While Verstappen had ruled Friday’s proceedings for Red Bull, Saturday morning belonged to Norris. The Briton was in total control, setting purple sectors across the board to finish 0.345s clear of Lewis Hamilton and over half a second ahead of George Russell. It was an emphatic return to form for McLaren, and a clear statement of intent from Norris, who sits just 14 points behind teammate Oscar Piastri in the Drivers’ Championship.

Norris Finds His Groove, and a Perfect Lap

From the moment he hit the track, Norris looked switched on. His confidence through the fast esses was evident, the McLaren MCL39 sticking to the asphalt like glue despite the notoriously slippery conditions at this high-altitude circuit.

When it mattered most, he delivered: three purple sectors and a flawless lap that stopped the clocks at 1m17.5s. It wasn’t just quick, it was clinical.

“Purple first sector. Purple second sector. And he’s done it again!” came the enthusiastic commentary over the team radio.

Behind him, Hamilton wrung every ounce of grip from his Mercedes to take second place, a surprise at a track that has never been his favourite, while Russell slotted into third to give Mercedes a morale boost heading into qualifying.

Piastri Struggles to Match His Teammate

While Norris looked at home in the thin Mexican air, Piastri seemed slightly off-balance. The Australian, leading the championship by 14 points, couldn’t extract the same pace, trailing nearly seven-tenths behind his McLaren teammate.

A scrappy first push lap saw him wrestling traffic in the stadium section, while his second attempt, though cleaner, still lacked the sharp edge that Norris displayed. Piastri’s radio message said it all, a calm but frustrated tone as he reported that the car “just doesn’t feel connected.”

With both Ferrari and Mercedes looking quick, and Verstappen lurking despite his own issues, the young Australian has a big afternoon ahead.

Verstappen Off the Boil

For once, the reigning world champion looked mortal. Verstappen, who topped FP2 on Friday, never appeared comfortable on Saturday morning. Despite his typically aggressive middle sector, he lost time through the stadium complex and finished only sixth, behind both Mercedes drivers and even Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc.

Adding to the intrigue, Red Bull experimented with different rear wing configurations between Verstappen and Yuki Tsunoda, perhaps chasing the ideal compromise between straight-line speed and downforce in the twisty final sector.

“It just doesn’t feel planted,” Verstappen was heard saying over the radio, a rare hint of frustration from the Dutchman.

Ferrari and Mercedes Join the Fight

Both Ferrari and Mercedes seemed to relish the challenge of the medium and soft compounds in the evolving conditions. Leclerc briefly topped the timesheets midway through the session before being shuffled down to fifth, while Russell and Hamilton looked particularly comfortable as track temperatures dropped slightly toward the end.

Antonelli impressed once again, placing his Mercedes within striking distance of the top four. The young Italian’s smooth driving style seems well-suited to the circuit’s delicate grip balance, a good omen for qualifying.

Williams and Aston Martin Hit Trouble

It was another frustrating session for Williams. Alex Albon suffered multiple lock-ups and complained of “no power” before the issue was solved via settings. Carlos Sainz, driving for Williams in 2025, ran wide twice at Turn 4, and the car appeared twitchy under braking. Whatever overnight setup changes the team made clearly didn’t improve the car’s balance.

At Aston Martin, Fernando Alonso’s day ended early after the team detected a small issue with his front-right suspension. “It’s unlikely Fernando will get back out before the end of FP3,” came the official word from the garage. Stroll, meanwhile, logged some solid laps on softs but remained firmly in the midfield.

Young Guns Impress Again

Red Bull junior Isack Hadjar continued to turn heads, briefly going fastest midway through the session and eventually finishing inside the top ten. His aggressive yet controlled approach through the stadium section earned praise on the team radio.

Similarly, Gabriel Bortoleto had a small off-track excursion but recovered well, showing composure and improving steadily, evidence of the rookies’ growing comfort with the demands of Formula 1 weekends.

With qualifying just hours away, the stage is set for what could be one of the closest and most unpredictable sessions of the season. The top seven are separated by less than a second, and with track evolution playing a massive role in Mexico’s thin air, timing will be everything.

Norris has momentum, Mercedes are quietly confident, Ferrari are sniffing opportunity, and Verstappen suddenly looks beatable.

If FP3 is anything to go by, fans are in for a spectacular qualifying battle under the blazing Mexican sun.

FP3 Times Table 2025 Mexico F1 GP

The quickest lap time of last years FP3 was a 1:16,492 min driven by Oscar Piastri with the McLaren MCL39.

The quickest sector times during FP3 were set by:

• Sector 1: 27.269 sec. by Lando Norris with the McLaren MCL39.
• Sector 2: 29.507 sec. by Lando Norris with the McLaren MCL39.
• Sector 3: 19.857 sec. by Lando Norris with the McLaren MCL39.

✅ Check out our 2025 Mexico Formula 1 Grand Prix preview.

About the author

Leopold

Leopold Pleijsier founded F1-Fansite.com in 2001 and has followed Formula 1 since the early 1980s. He writes about daily F1 news, race weekends, drivers and the sport’s history.

Related topics