In a thrilling display of skill and adaptability, Jake Hughes secured the fastest lap during a wet second practice for the 2025 Mexico City E-Prix, as tricky conditions posed a challenge for seasoned drivers.
The session which was held at the Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez was characterized by challenging wet conditions that significantly impacted lap times and shuffled the order of competitors compared to the previous day’s practice.
Jake Hughes, representing Maserati MSG Racing, clocked a remarkable lap time of 1m25.808s to top the second and final practice for the 2025 Mexico City E-Prix, showcasing his ability to navigate the tricky track while others struggled to find grip.
The weather played a pivotal role in shaping the dynamics of the session. Overnight rain left the track damp, creating a stark contrast to the sunny and windy conditions experienced during Free Practice 1.
As the session progressed, the track began to dry allowing drivers to push their limits and improve their times. However, this transition also led to unpredictable conditions, making it difficult for teams to gauge tire performance accurately.
Jake Hughes’ time was notably slower than the fastest lap from Free Practice 1, which was nearly 15 seconds quicker, illustrating just how much the weather influenced performance.
Nick Cassidy from Jaguar TCS Racing secured second place with a time just 0.157 seconds behind Hughes. Despite experiencing a spin at Turn 15, Cassidy managed to recover and post an impressive lap, demonstrating his remarkable skill in navigating adverse conditions.
Porsche TAG Heuer’s Pascal Wehrlein rounded out the top three with a time of 1m26.162s, just 0.197 seconds off Hughes’ pace. Wehrlein’s performance was particularly noteworthy as he led a strong showing from Porsche-powered cars.
Andretti Formula E’s Jake Dennis finished fourth, closely trailing Wehrlein by a mere 0.068 seconds. Dennis has previously won at this venue in Season 9 and appeared determined to replicate that success despite the challenging circumstances.
Antonio Felix da Costa who had set the fastest time in Free Practice 1 settled for fifth place this time around with a lap of 1m26.490s.
READ ALSO: Da Costa pips Taylor Barnard to top 2025 Mexico City E-Prix FP1
Da Costa was followed by Mahindra Racing’s Nyck de Vries who continued to impress by securing sixth place with a time of 1m26.647s. His consistent performance highlighted his adaptation to new team dynamics following his recent switch from another team.
Robin Frijns from Envision Racing and Stoffel Vandoorne from Maserati ensured both Maseratis finished within the top ten in seventh and eighth respectively after missing out in Friday’s practice session.
DS Penske’s Maximilian Guenther finished ninth with a solid performance, while Oliver Rowland completed the top ten for Nissan.
The competitive nature of the second practice for 2025 Mexico City E-Prix was evident as only 0.628 seconds separated the top ten drivers in Free Practice 1; however, that gap widened significantly to 1.719 seconds in FP2 due to varying track conditions.
The second practice also highlighted some unexpected struggles among seasoned drivers. Mitch Evans from Jaguar narrowly missed out on a top ten finish, ending up in eleventh place after showing promise in opening practice.
Former champions such as Jean-Eric Vergne, Lucas di Grassi, and Sebastien Buemi found themselves further down the order(in 13th, 14th and 15th respectively) than anticipated, indicating that even experienced drivers were not immune to the challenges posed by damp conditions.
Meanwhile, NEOM McLaren’s Taylor Barnard finished down in 17th after posting the second-fastest time in FP1.
As teams prepare for qualifying later during the day, they face strategic decisions regarding tyre choices and setups based on their observations during practice. The unpredictable weather forecast hinted at further rain potentially impacting race day strategies as well.
