Lewis Hamilton commented on a challenging Friday for Oscar Piastri and Lando Norris at the 2025 Mexican Grand Prix. The second free practice session offered many interesting insights, but also some unexpected surprises. Among these was McLaren’s underwhelming performance: World Championship leader Oscar Piastri could only manage twelfth place, more than six-tenths behind teammate Lando Norris. This result even caught Hamilton’s attention, who could not help but notice the difference compared to previous races.
“Where did McLaren’s speed on a single lap go? They used to be unbeatable,” Lewis Hamilton said to reporters after the session. The seven-time World Champion finished FP2 in fifth place behind Charles Leclerc and Max Verstappen, but he also kept an eye on the Woking rivals, who had seemed unstoppable just a few weeks ago.
For McLaren, the drop in performance did not go unnoticed. Oscar Piastri explained that the problems do not stem from a single factor but from a combination of small details that together make a difference: “Formula 1 is always about the details. When several add up, the result can change dramatically. We’ve already seen this in Texas.”
The Australian admitted trying several setup solutions without finding the right balance: “My laps on the Soft tires with low fuel were not exceptional, so the times didn’t surprise me. I still feel good in the car, but we need more consistency.”
Hamilton, meanwhile, observes and takes advantage of others’ struggles to advance Ferrari’s resurgence. The Scuderia closed the day with Charles Leclerc in second and Hamilton himself in fifth, confirming the progress seen in Austin.
However, like Charles Leclerc, the British driver urges caution: Verstappen’s Red Bull remains the favorite, while McLaren is expected to bounce back quickly to avoid losing ground in the championship fight.
