The Ferrari pilot, Charles Leclerc, secured the quickest lap time during the inaugural practice session for the Mexico Grand Prix, while nine inexperienced drivers gained valuable Formula 1 circuit experience, notably Arvid Lindblad at Red Bull, who delivered an impressive performance.
In a session where prominent contenders such as Lando Norris and Max Verstappen, along with seven-time world champion Lewis Hamilton, were absent – their teams aiming to adhere to regulations concerning opportunities for young drivers – Leclerc surpassed his competitors with a lap time of 1m18.380s.
The circuit exhibited its characteristic dusty condition with limited grip during the initial session at Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez. Most teams dedicated the first 25 minutes to acclimatizing to the track on hard compound tires, with Antonelli initially setting the pace at 1m20.035s. Subsequently, a small number of drivers opted for medium tires, with Racing Bulls’ Isack Hadjar recording the fastest time among them at 1m20.005s.
As expected, lap times improved considerably as most competitors switched to soft compound tires, yet remained more than two seconds slower than Carlos Sainz’s pole position time from the previous year (driving for Ferrari then), which was 1m15.946s.
Mercedes’ Andrea Kimi Antonelli ultimately claimed second position with a time of 1m18.487s, followed by Sauber’s Nico Hulkenberg in third, almost four-tenths of a second behind the leader.
Championship frontrunner Oscar Piastri achieved the fourth-fastest time, while Gabriel Bortoleto secured a spot in the top five for Sauber; the Swiss team being the only one previously compliant with rookie requirements for the 2025 season.
Arvid Lindblad, Red Bull Racing
Photo by: Steven Tee / LAT Images via Getty Images
Lindblad, who replaced Verstappen at Red Bull and is a likely candidate for Racing Bulls F1 in 2026, emerged as the fastest rookie with a time of 1m18.997s, achieved late in the session.
While the other debutants occupied the lower positions on the timesheet, it is important to note that Ayumu Iwasa (Racing Bulls), Luke Browning (Williams), and Jak Crawford (Aston Martin) did not utilize soft tires, as was the case with Hadjar and Alex Albon. Furthermore, Antonio Fuoco, Ferrari’s Le Mans 24 Hours victor, did not appear to be focused on outright performance.
Throughout the session, all drivers avoided contact with the barriers, although Franco Colapinto, Hadjar, and Piastri each briefly ventured off the track without incident.
F1 Mexico GP – FP1 results
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– The Autosport.com Team
