Mexico City Grand Prix Practice Overview
Charles Leclerc emerged as the frontrunner in the first practice session at the Mexico City Grand Prix, clocking a best time of 1:18.380 at the Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez. The Ferrari driver outpaced Mercedes’ Kimi Antonelli by 0.107 seconds, establishing a solid benchmark on a hot and dusty circuit.
In tight competition, Nico Hulkenberg finished third, representing Sauber, with a time that lagged behind Leclerc by 0.380 seconds. He narrowly edged out championship leader Oscar Piastri in fourth by 0.024 seconds, while teammate Gabriel Bortoleto rounded out the top five, 0.156 seconds behind.
Among the debuting drivers, Arvid Lindblad, currently seventh in the Formula 2 standings, impressed with a sixth-place finish in Max Verstappen’s Red Bull Racing car, clocking in at 0.617 seconds off Leclerc’s pace. However, Lindblad will face scrutiny from the stewards for allegedly impeding Pato O’Ward on a flying lap, though mitigating factors related to GPS data system failures are expected to be considered.
Esteban Ocon posted the seventh-fastest time for Haas, while Yuki Tsunoda, in the second Red Bull, finished eighth—0.710 seconds off the pace and just 0.093 seconds adrift of Lindblad. Franco Colapinto secured ninth for Alpine, with Alex Albon completing the top ten for Williams.
Notable performances included Isack Hadjar, who achieved an 11th-place finish despite a miss at Turn 12, and O’Ward, who managed 13th in Lando Norris’s car. Frederik Vesti and Paul Aron followed in 14th and 16th, respectively, the latter potentially auditioning for a full-time seat.
Ryo Hirakawa and Ayumu Iwasa completed the midfield, with notable debuts from Jak Crawford and Antonio Fuoco, subbing for Lance Stroll and Lewis Hamilton, respectively.
Results Summary
- Charles Leclerc (Ferrari) – 1:18.380
- Kimi Antonelli (Mercedes) – +0.107
- Nico Hulkenberg (Sauber) – +0.380
- Oscar Piastri (Sauber) – +0.404
- Gabriel Bortoleto (Sauber) – +0.536
- Arvid Lindblad (Red Bull) – +0.617
- Esteban Ocon (Haas) – +0.702
- Yuki Tsunoda (Red Bull) – +0.710
- Franco Colapinto (Alpine) – +0.788
- Alex Albon (Williams) – +0.840
The session highlighted both experienced contenders and promising rookies, setting the stage for an exciting Grand Prix weekend ahead.
