Source: Official Team Post via X
Leclerc Sets the Pace in Mexico City FP1 as Fresh Faces Join the Fray
Charles Leclerc led the field in the first practice session for the Mexico City Grand Prix. Emerging talents made their F1 debuts as new drivers took to the track.
Charles Leclerc kicked off the Mexico City Grand Prix weekend in style by topping the timesheets during the first practice session. The Ferrari driver clocked a 1m 18.128s, comfortably ahead of Mercedes' Kimi Antonelli and Frederik Vesti, who filled in for George Russell.
The session saw a flurry of young talent as 10 out of 11 teams introduced new drivers, with Ferrari being the sole exception, keeping its usual pair. Notably, Nikola Tsolov, a Red Bull junior, and Freddie Slater, an Audi development driver, made their F1 debuts. Tsolov stepped in for Liam Lawson, while Slater took over from Gabriel Bortoleto.
The dusty track surface initially challenged the drivers, with Antonelli narrowly avoiding a mishap in the stadium section. Meanwhile, local favorite Sergio Perez also had his hands full. Isack Hadjar faced technical issues early on, but Leclerc soon broke the 1m 20s barrier on hard tires.
As for the session's incidents, Nico Hulkenberg endured a lock-up at Turn 1, and Arvid Lindblad went wide at Turn 12. Leonardo Fornaroli, standing in for Lando Norris, showcased his recovery skills after a dramatic slide. Oscar Piastri, driving the second McLaren, briefly cut across the grass at Turn 1.
Audi's Freddie Slater had a frustrating debut when his car was sent out with a sidepod fan still attached, leading to power unit troubles and a lengthy pit stop. The stewards are investigating the incident.
In the latter part of the session, drivers switched to soft tires. Leclerc capitalized, extending his lead with Antonelli trailing by over six-tenths. A brief Virtual Safety Car was needed when Jak Crawford, substituting for Lance Stroll, halted his Aston Martin at Turn 1.
At the session's conclusion, Leclerc maintained his lead, with Antonelli and Vesti completing the top three. Lewis Hamilton, Leclerc's teammate, was fourth, followed by Ayumu Iwasa, who temporarily replaced Max Verstappen at Red Bull. The top ten was rounded out by Pierre Gasly, Fernando Alonso, Piastri, and the Haas of Ollie Bearman.
Further down, Hadjar improved to 11th, followed by Tsolov and Hulkenberg. Gabriele Mini, another debutant, drove Franco Colapinto's Alpine to 14th. Ryo Hirakawa, Carlos Sainz, and other newcomers like Fornaroli and Slater filled out the remaining positions.
This diverse mix of seasoned veterans and new stars sets the stage for an intriguing weekend at the high-altitude Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez.