Mexico, FP3: Russell quickest in final practice for Mexico City GP

George Russell beat Mercedes team-mate Lewis Hamilton as Mercedes finished 1-2 in final practice for the 2022 FIA Formula 1 Mexico City Grand Prix with Red Bull’s third ahead of Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc.

Russell posted a lap of 1:18.399 to finish 0.144s clear of Hamilton as Mercedes capitalised on what Russell yesterday called the team’s best Friday of the season.

Verstappen was next on the timesheet, albeit almost half a second off the pace of the lead Mercedes. The 2022 F1 champion might have got closer but a “terrible” first sector during a lap on soft tyres set him back and a similar issue on his second run compromised his chances.

Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc recovered from a difficult Friday that featured a puncture in FP1 and a crash in the afternoon session to make his way to fourth place, though the Monegasque driver found himself more than seven tenths of a second adrift of top spot.

Local favourite Sergio Pérez ended the session in fifth place almost four tenths off team-mate Verstappen, while Carlos Sainz in the other Ferrari finished sixth.

Behind the Mercedes, Red Bull and Ferrari cars, Lando Norris was seventh for McLaren, with Alfa Romeo’s Valtteri Bottas eighth ahead of AlphaTauri’s Yuki Tsunoda and the Williams of Alex Albon.

Alpine pair Esteban Ocon and Fernando Alonso were 11th and 13th respectively, split by the second Alfa Romeo of Zhou Guanyu, while Daniel Ricciardo finished 14th ahead of AlphaTauri’s Pierre Gasly and Aston Martin’s Lance Stroll. Mick Schumacher finished 17th, though the German driver had a lurid spun early in the session. He was followed by Williams’ Nicholas Latifi, the second Aston Martin of Sebastian Vettel and Haas’ Kevin Magnussen.