Norris Leads Tight FP3 Session in Mexico, Hirakawa Steps In for Ocon
Lando Norris narrowly topped the final practice session in Mexico, edging out Kimi Antonelli by the slimmest of margins. Meanwhile, Haas introduced Ryo Hirakawa as Esteban Ocon's weekend replacement.
Ryo Hirakawa made his return to the Haas cockpit in Mexico, stepping in for Esteban Ocon for the remainder of the weekend. The reason behind Ocon's absence isn't illness-related, but the details remain under wraps. This change set the stage for an intriguing FP3 at the 2026 Mexico City Grand Prix.
Lando Norris emerged as the fastest man on track, clocking a best lap of 1:17.600. He narrowly outpaced Mercedes' Kimi Antonelli by a mere thousandth of a second, while Charles Leclerc, who had dominated both Friday practice sessions, settled for third in his Ferrari.
The session was characterized by a late switch to soft tires, which saw the top teams—Mercedes, McLaren, Red Bull, and Ferrari—jostling closely in terms of lap times. Here are the top ten results from the session:
1. **Lando Norris** (McLaren) - 1:17.600 2. **Kimi Antonelli** (Mercedes) - 1:17.601 3. **Charles Leclerc** (Ferrari) - 1:17.717 4. **Oscar Piastri** (McLaren) - 1:17.795 5. **Max Verstappen** (Red Bull) - 1:17.951 6. **Lewis Hamilton** (Ferrari) - 1:18.069 7. **George Russell** (Mercedes) - 1:18.107 8. **Isack Hadjar** (Red Bull) - 1:18.109 9. **Liam Lawson** (Racing Bulls) - 1:18.113 10. **Arvid Lindblad** (Racing Bulls) - 1:18.137
Challenges were present for Audi's Gabriel Bortoleto and Cadillac's Sergio Perez, as neither managed to set a timed lap. The pair will be looking to regroup and focus on qualifying.
While Hirakawa ended the session 19th, he was notably ahead of Cadillac's Valtteri Bottas, who brought up the rear. The switch from Ocon to Hirakawa adds an extra layer of intrigue as Haas looks to navigate the rest of the weekend with a new driver lineup.