Ferrari driver Charles Leclerc went quickest in opening apply for the Mexico Grand Prix, as 9 rookies obtained useful Method 1 observe time, together with an attention grabbing outing for Arvid Lindblad at Purple Bull.
In a session that was sat out by the likes title contenders Lando Norris and Max Verstappen, in addition to seven-time world champion Lewis Hamilton, on account of groups looking for to fulfil sporting rules relating to younger drivers, Leclerc outpaced his rivals with a 1m18.380s marker.
The observe was in its acquainted dusty state with poor grip in the course of the opening session at Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez, and most vehicles spent the preliminary 25 minutes attending to grips with the observe on arduous rubber, with Antonelli then quickest of those in 1m20.035s. Only a handful of drivers already used mediums then, amongst whom Racing Bulls’ Isack Hadjar was quickest in 1m20.005s.
Lap occasions unsurprisingly obtained considerably quicker as most runners bolted gentle tyres on, whereas remaining greater than two seconds slower than final 12 months’s pole place by Carlos Sainz, then at Ferrari, a 1m15.946s.
Mercedes’ Andrea Kimi Antonelli ultimately took second place in 1m18.487s, with Sauber’s Nico Hulkenberg making up the highest three, almost 4 tenths down on the chief.
Championship chief Oscar Piastri was fourth-fastest as Gabriel Bortoleto made it two Saubers within the prime 5; the Swiss workforce was the one one which beforehand fulfilled its rookie necessities for the 2025 season.
Arvid Lindblad, Purple Bull Racing
Picture by: Steven Tee / LAT Photos through Getty Photos
Verstappen’s Purple Bull stand-in and a probable Racing Bulls F1 2026 graduate, Lindblad was by far the quickest rookie in 1m18.997s, a lap time he set fairly late within the session.
All different debutants propped up the timesheet, however it’s price noting that Ayumu Iwasa (Racing Bulls), Luke Browning (Williams) and Jak Crawford (Aston Martin) by no means used gentle tyres – neither did Hadjar and Alex Albon – whereas Ferrari’s Le Mans 24 Hours winner Antonio Fuoco didn’t appear to hunt efficiency.
Everybody stayed away from the partitions all through the session, although Franco Colapinto, Hadjar and Piastri did harmlessly find yourself off the observe as soon as every.
Mexico GP – FP1 outcomes
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