Are McLaren also going to challenge for pole position on Saturday? Lando Norris took a dominant victory here last year on his way to his maiden world championship, and now the Briton goes quickest with a time just 0.001 second better than title leader Kimi Antonelli.

Marc Priestley
Former F1 mechanic on Radio 5 Live in Mexico City

That is a very unhappy Max Verstappen. When he says the brakes aren't working of course they do work, just not the way he would like.

Brakes are under a lot of stress here. You haven't got the normal dense air to keep those brakes cool.

Charles Leclerc is green in the opening in sector but it's the final sector where the Ferrari driver shines. He's purple at the end of the lap and goes to within 0.151 seconds of Kimi Antonelli's quickest time.

For Max Verstappen, the brakes are causing issues in the Red Bull. The Dutchman, who is aiming for a seventh consecutive podium finish this weekend, is fifth on the timesheets.

Something is not right over at Aston Martin, so Canadian Lance Stroll is back in the garage for some work on his car.

Ferrari are down in sixth and seventh as the soft running continues, Charles Leclerc quicker than team-mate Lewis Hamilton, but the pair both half a second off Kimi Antonelli's best time.

1. Kimi Antonelli (Mercedes) - 1:17.601

2. Lando Norris (McLaren) +0.166

3. Max Verstappen (Red Bull) +0.350

4. Oscar Piastri (McLaren) +0.451

5. George Russell (Mercedes) +0.506

Take two for championship leader Kimi Antonelli and this time the Italian puts down a smooth lap and leapfrogs current title holder Lando Norris by 0.272 seconds.

Four-time world champion Max Verstappen goes third quickest, more than three tenths off Antonelli, with Oscar Piastri now down to fourth.

The phone at Mercedes is ringing. It's Antonelli, and he's not happy.

"Who was the Red Bull?!" asks the 20-year-old. "Erm... that was Max," comes the reply.

Marc Priestley
Former F1 mechanic on Radio 5 Live in Mexico City

Turn 12 is catching a lot of people out. If you look at the list of lap times deleted, which we get here in the commentary box, a lot of them are happening there.

Everyone is coming into that section, the tyres are very warm at that point, and they are going from very high speed to very low speed and they are finding it difficult to control the car there.

Kimi Antonelli backed out of his first flying lap, so for now, Lando Norris has jumped above the other Mercedes of George Russell by 0.234 seconds.

The world champion's team-mate Oscar Piastri is next to cross the line and slots in behind Norris after his soft-tyre attempt.

More soft tyres are starting to appear on the timing tower, including championship leader Kimi Antonelli and the McLarens of Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri.

George Russell finishes his lap and goes quickest with a 1:18.107, but the Briton tells his Mercedes pit wall: "I think we should have tried the first lap - might be worth trying with Kimi."

Audi's Gabriel Bortoleto and home driver Sergio Perez are the only two drivers without a timed lap on the board in this final practice session. Mexican Perez has just signed a contract extension with Cadillac, but he's not getting to enjoy the congratulations of the crowd so far on Saturday.

Lance Stroll has also returned to the Aston Martin garage, and now the mechanics are starting to work on the Canadian's car.

Carlos Sainz takes a bit of trip across the grass in the Williams, as Mercedes' George Russell is preparing to show us a lap on the soft red tyres.

Isack Hadjar: Oh my God this is the worst car I have driven this weekend. Terrible.

1. Charles Leclerc (Ferrari) - 1:18.152

2. Lewis Hamilton (Ferrari) +0.010

3. Kimi Antonelli (Mercedes) +0.261

4. Isack Hadjar (Red Bull) +0.354

5. Lando Norris (McLaren) +0.363

Another flying lap on the medium compound for Ferrari, another one of their drivers takes the best seat at the timesheets table. Charles Leclerc has the upper-hand now, with a best time of 1:18.152, and a 0.010-second advantage over team-mate Lewis Hamilton.

Isack Hadjar, meanwhile, has dragged his car up to fourth with his latest run on the yellow rubber, 0.354 secs off Leclerc's marker.

Ferrari are looking in good shape in this session just before qualifying, and now Lewis Hamilton returns to the top of the timesheets with a 1:18.162, with the gap to team-mate Charles Leclerc standing at 0.023 seconds.

Over at Red Bull, Isack Hadjar says this is the worst car he's driven so far this weekend - and there's also something causing some discomfort around his foot. The Frenchman is sitting in eighth place on the board.

Jennie Gow
F1 pit-lane reporter in Mexico City

I am sorry to bring bad news to the home crowd and Sergio Perez fans but the car is in two pieces. The rear is off which means a power unit change. They will be racing to get it done in time for qualifying, I don't think there is any doubt about that, but no running for Perez apart from that one lap.

Can Ferrari put everything together in qualifying and claim pole position in Mexico? The Italian team are now one and two on the timesheets, but it's Charles Leclerc who has become the driver to topple.The Monegasque man has put 0.083 seconds between himself and Scuderia team-mate Hamilton, with Mercedes' Kimi Antonelli jumping above Oscar Piastri and into third.

Marc Priestley
Former F1 mechanic on Radio 5 Live in Mexico City

A good run from Lewis Hamilton. We didn't really get to see the full pace of him yesterday. There were definite glimpses that he could match Leclerc for pace so that Ferrari is looking in good shape. They are in a good position going into this weekend.

The track is evolving at the Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez, so the times are changing rapidly.

Kimi Antonelli is able to improve on his latest run to go top, but the title leader's time is beaten by McLaren Oscar Piastri and the Ferrari of Lewis Hamilton.

The trio are all on the medium tyre, with seven-time world champion Hamilton three tenths faster than Australian Piastri.

Will this be another practice session in the bag for Charles Leclerc this weekend? The Ferrari driver is another runner on the medium compound and is able to beat Kimi Antonelli's quickest time by 0.034 seconds.

World champion Lando Norris, who will be handing over the number one very soon, although Antonelli has said he might keep his regular number 12 next season, goes third fastest, not too far off the Italian's time.

Image source, Getty Images

Charles Leclerc was surprised when told Ferrari were some people's favourites to win in Mexico, but maybe he shouldn't have been.

The Monegasque driver topped both sessions on Friday, leading world champion Lando Norris by 0.103 seconds in the second hour. Mercedes' George Russell was third, one place ahead of championship leader and team-mate Kimi Antonelli, with Red Bull's Max Verstappen and Isack Hadjar fifth and sixth.

Leclerc's team-mate Lewis Hamilton was 11th overall after stopping on track with a technical problem before completing his qualifying simulation runs on the soft tyre.

"I was feeling really good in the car," said the seven-time world champion. "It's just my luck."