Leclerc fastest in Mexico practice as Antonelli nears title

Charles Leclerc posted the quickest lap in the first practice session for the Mexico City Grand Prix, edging out rookie Kimi Antonelli by 0.659 seconds. Antonelli’s ninth‑place finish in the race will clinch the world championship regardless of other outcomes; only a win by his teammate George Russell or by Ferrari’s Lewis Hamilton could keep the title fight alive, and even then Antonelli would still need only ninth or tenth place respectively. Frederik Vesti, Mercedes’ reserve driver, was third quickest, running in George Russell’s car, followed by Hamilton in fourth. Mercedes were among ten teams using this session for mandatory rookie running, while Ferrari was the only team to field both its regular drivers. The practice also saw Japan’s Ayumu Iwasa, standing in for Max Verstappen at Red Bull, post the fifth‑fastest time, ahead of Alpine’s Pierre Gasly and Aston Martin’s Fernando Alonso. Oscar Piastri (McLaren), Oliver Bearman (Haas) and Arvid Lindblad (Racing Bulls) completed the top ten. Audi rookie Freddie Slater managed just 14 laps due to reliability issues, ending up 19th fastest, just behind fellow Briton Luke Browning who ran for Williams. Colton Herta, under consideration by Cadillac for a possible F1 seat in place of Valtteri Bottas, finished 22nd; the team said he has now earned the 40 points needed for an F1 super licence. Mexico City’s dusty surface often makes the first practice unrepresentative, which is why many teams schedule their rookie sessions here.

Context

The rookie sessions give young drivers mandatory track time, helping them meet experience thresholds for future F1 eligibility, while the dirty track limits the relevance of early practice times for race strategy.