Charles Leclerc set the pace during the first practice session at the Mexico City Grand Prix, outpacing Mercedes driver Kimi Antonelli by 0.659 seconds. Charles Leclerc went fastest in a practice session featuring 10 rookie drivers.
Antonelli, currently in contention for his maiden world championship, needs only a ninth-place finish this weekend to secure the title, regardless of other outcomes. He would only be denied should his teammate George Russell or Ferrari’s Lewis Hamilton win the race, in which case Antonelli would require a ninth or tenth-place finish, respectively. Only a victory by his team-mate George Russell or Ferrari’s Lewis Hamilton can theoretically stop Antonelli becoming champion on Sunday.
The session saw a significant influx of young talent, with ten teams opting to utilize the slot for their mandatory rookie outings. Only Ferrari fielded both of their regular race drivers. Mercedes reserve driver Frederik Vesti, taking over Russell’s car, finished third fastest, followed by Hamilton.
Track conditions at the Mexico City circuit are traditionally suboptimal during the opening session due to a dirty track surface, making it a common choice for testing developmental drivers. Ayumu Iwasa, standing in for Max Verstappen at Red Bull, secured the fifth fastest time. He was followed by Alpine’s Pierre Gasly and Aston Martin’s Fernando Alonso.
The remainder of the top ten featured McLaren’s Oscar Piastri, Haas driver Oliver Bearman, and Racing Bulls’ Arvid Lindblad. Meanwhile, British driver Freddie Slater’s debut grand prix weekend with Audi faced technical hurdles. Reliability issues restricted his track time to just 14 laps—roughly half the usual mileage—though he managed to return for the final 20 minutes to clock the 19th fastest time, finishing just behind Williams’ Luke Browning. Reliability problems limited his running to 14 laps – about half a standard mileage. But he did manage to get out for the final 20 minutes or so and set the 19th fastest time.
In other developments, American IndyCar star Colton Herta finished 22nd while participating in the session. Herta is currently under consideration by Cadillac to replace Valtteri Bottas for the upcoming season. According to the FIA, the nine-time Indycar winner has now completed sufficient mileage to accrue the 40 points required for a Formula 1 superlicence.
