F1 Mexico GP: Leclerc Leads FP1 as Lindblad Tops Rookie Times

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Ferrari's Charles Leclerc Sets Fastest Time in Mexico GP Opening Practice

In the opening practice session for the Mexico Grand Prix, Ferrari driver Charles Leclerc emerged as the fastest, setting a time of 1 minute and 18.380 seconds. This performance highlighted his dominance in a session that saw several rookie drivers getting valuable track time.

The session was notably absent of some of the top contenders, including Lando Norris, Max Verstappen, and Lewis Hamilton. These drivers were not present due to teams' efforts to meet sporting regulations regarding young drivers. As a result, Leclerc had the opportunity to showcase his speed on the dusty Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez track, which presented challenges with poor grip.

During the initial 25 minutes of the session, most drivers focused on adapting to the track conditions using hard rubber tires. Antonelli, driving for Mercedes, was the fastest among these, recording a time of 1 minute and 20.035 seconds. However, the majority of drivers eventually switched to soft tires, leading to significant improvements in lap times.

Despite the faster lap times, none of the drivers managed to match the pole position time set by Carlos Sainz last year, which was 1 minute and 15.946 seconds. The current session's fastest time, set by Leclerc, was over two seconds slower than this benchmark.

Mercedes' Andrea Kimi Antonelli finished second with a time of 1 minute and 18.487 seconds, while Sauber's Nico Hulkenberg completed the top three, just 0.273 seconds behind Leclerc. Championship leader Oscar Piastri was fourth-fastest, with Gabriel Bortoleto making it two Saubers in the top five. The Swiss team was the only one that fulfilled its rookie requirements for the 2025 season.

Notable Performances from Rookie Drivers

Among the rookies, Arvid Lindblad, who is set to join Racing Bulls for the 2026 season, stood out as the quickest rookie with a time of 1 minute and 18.997 seconds. His performance came late in the session, showcasing his potential.

Other debutants also participated in the session, but their performances varied. Ayumu Iwasa (Racing Bulls), Luke Browning (Williams), and Jak Crawford (Aston Martin) did not use soft tires during the session. Similarly, Isack Hadjar and Alex Albon also avoided soft tires. Meanwhile, Antonio Fuoco, a winner of the Le Mans 24 Hours, did not seem to focus on maximizing performance.

Throughout the session, all drivers maintained a safe distance from the walls. However, Franco Colapinto, Hadjar, and Piastri each experienced minor off-track incidents, though these did not cause any damage.

FP1 Results Summary

Here are the results from the first practice session:

  1. Charles Leclerc – Ferrari – 1m18.380s
  2. Andrea Kimi Antonelli – Mercedes – 1m18.487s
  3. Nico Hulkenberg – Sauber – 1m18.760s
  4. Oscar Piastri – McLaren – 1m18.784s
  5. Gabriel Bortoleto – Sauber – 1m18.916s
  6. Arvid Lindblad – Red Bull Racing – 1m18.997s
  7. Esteban Ocon – Haas F1 Team – 1m19.038s
  8. Yuki Tsunoda – Red Bull Racing – 1m19.090s
  9. Franco Colapinto – Alpine – 1m19.331s
  10. Alex Albon – Williams – 1m19.384s
  11. Isack Hadjar – RB – 1m19.409s
  12. Fernando Alonso – Aston Martin Racing – 1m19.472s
  13. Pierre Gasly – McLaren – 1m19.680s
  14. Frederik Vesti – Mercedes – 1m19.689s
  15. Paul Aron – Alpine – 1m19.862s
  16. Ryota Hirakawa – Haas F1 Team – 1m20.073s
  17. Ayumu Iwasa – RB – 1m20.153s
  18. Luke Browning – Williams – 1m20.310s
  19. Jak Crawford – Aston Martin Racing – 1m20.371s
  20. Antonio Fuoco – Ferrari – 1m20.854s





















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