Mexican F1 Grand Prix 2019 Qualifying: Results, Times from Friday's Practice

Sebastian Vettel went fastest during Friday's practice at the 2019 Mexican Grand Prix, with the Ferrari driver clocking a time of 1:16.607.

The German found excellent pace later in the day, and laced together three consistent sectors during P2. Max Verstappen edged out Charles Leclerc for the second-fastest run, but the Prancing Horse was supreme ahead of qualifying.

Lewis Hamilton had gone quickest in P1 ahead of Leclerc, but a damp track and traffic made it difficult for the top cars to find their true pace.

Mercedes struggled as the day unfolded, and Hamilton backed off from pushing for a quicker time. The champion was only fifth-fastest after P2.

Tyre degradation was the hot topic during practice, and a two-stop race strategy might become essential on Sunday, with teams forced to use all available compounds.

Formula One shared a breakdown of the positions from P2:

Leclerc and Valtteri Bottas spun early during P2, but both drivers quickly corrected their mistakes to rejoin the session.

Ferrari's switch to the medium tyre compound saw their vehicles significantly pick up the pace, and Vettel was certainly the biggest beneficiary as he produced the quickest lap.

Red Bull Racing's Alexander Albon hit the wall, temporarily pausing proceedings, but the 23-year-old appeared to be fine after the shock of his crash. The London-born driver oversteered and lost control of his car, ending his practice session with an uncomfortable bump:

Hamilton's race engineer Peter Bonnington is set to miss the Mexican race for medical reasons, so the world champion spent time communicating and working beside replacement Marcus Dudley, rather than searching for additional speed.

Teams struggled during the runs on soft tyres, sliding around the track as the compound blistered, and Saturday's weather could test the softs further if the heavens open and the rain falls.

Verstappen had a mixed P2, but produced a quick lap despite difficulties across consecutive runs, with tyre temperature a constant issue for the Dutchman.

The high altitude challenged each car's braking systems due to the thinner air in Mexico City, and this will hugely influence strategies during Saturday's qualifying and Sunday's race.

Mark Thompson/Getty Images

Bottas also found life tough on the softs, but appeared more comfortable on the harder tyre compounds later in the session, despite consistent graining and degradation. It was a problem suffered not only by Mercedes, with each team on the track reporting the issue on their radio communication.

The medium tyres will be favoured by most teams on Sunday, but the weather will be the deciding factor moments before lights out.

Leclerc suffered a dangerous spin late in practice as he pushed his car, but the Ferrari youngster managed to avoid the wall and a bad accident.

Hamilton is on the brink of his sixth world championship, and if the Brit can beat team-mate Bottas by 14 points on Sunday, the title race will be over for another season.