Mexico City Grand Prix practice opened with Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc at the top of the times, ahead of Mercedes driver Kimi Antonelli as the Italian edges toward his first world title.
Leclerc finished 0.659 seconds clear of Antonelli. The title picture is straightforward for Antonelli, who will be champion with a ninth-place finish on Sunday regardless of other outcomes.
Only a victory by his team-mate George Russell or Ferrari’s Lewis Hamilton can delay Antonelli’s coronation. Even in those scenarios, Antonelli needs ninth if Russell wins and 10th if Hamilton does.
Mercedes reserve Frederik Vesti, standing in for Russell in this session, was third quickest, with Hamilton next in fourth.
Mexico City Grand Prix practice features rookie outings
Mercedes were among 10 teams to complete a mandatory rookie session in first practice. Ferrari was the only team to run both regular race drivers.
Teams often select Mexico City for rookie mileage because first practice is typically unrepresentative due to a dusty, low-grip surface.
Ayumu Iwasa, deputizing for Max Verstappen at Red Bull, set the fifth-best time. He was followed by Alpine’s Pierre Gasly and Aston Martin’s Fernando Alonso.
McLaren’s Oscar Piastri, Haas rookie Oliver Bearman and Racing Bulls’ Arvid Lindblad rounded out the top 10.
Freddie Slater’s first grand prix weekend for Audi was hampered by reliability issues, limiting him to 14 laps, roughly half a normal session. He returned for the final 20 minutes and placed 19th, just behind fellow Briton Luke Browning in the Williams.
American Colton Herta, whom Cadillac is evaluating for an F1 seat next year in place of Valtteri Bottas, was 22nd. The FIA said Herta, a nine-time IndyCar winner, has now completed enough running to secure the 40 superlicence points required to race in F1.