Charles Leclerc set the pace for Ferrari in a first practice session for the Mexico City Grand Prix featuring nine rookie drivers, with Max Verstappen, Lando Norris and Lewis Hamilton among the big names to sit it out.
With teams obliged by F1’s regulations to run inexperienced drivers in each of their cars in first practice two times during the season, nine of the grid’s 10 outfits chose Friday’s first hour of running at the Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez to fulfil one of those sessions.
The top of the timesheet was dominated by race drivers though, with Leclerc fastest for Ferrari, last year’s victors in Mexico, on 1:18.380, leading by a tenth of a second from Mercedes’ Kimi Antonelli.
Nico Hulkenberg was third for Sauber with championship leader Oscar Piastri fourth in his McLaren. Sauber, the only team to run both race drivers, also finished fifth fastest with Gabriel Bortoleto.
Piastri was the only one of the three title contenders on track for the weekend’s opening hour of running and will hope to have gained useful early data to carry into the rest of the weekend after a series of underwhelming races which have seen his points lead dwindle.
Piastri, who has seen his title lead drop to 14 points over Norris and 40 points over a resurgent Verstappen, finished 0.4s off Leclerc’s pace and had a late mini-slide on track when he switched to the soft tyres.
British teenager Arvid Lindblad, who races in F2, took over Verstappen’s in-form Red Bull car for his second Friday run-out of the season and was the only rookie to finish in the top 12 in sixth place.
The 18-year-old is strongly tipped for a seat at Racing Bulls, Red Bull’s junior team, next season.
Red Bull also introduced another round of upgrades to the already-much-improved RB21, featuring a further iteration of the floor it brought to Monza in September and which has been credited with helping turn around their form.
The nine race drivers who sat out the opening hour will return for Practice Two later on Friday night at 11pm, live on Sky Sports F1.
More to follow…
Sky Sports F1’s Mexico City GP schedule
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Look back at some of the most dramatic moments to have taken place at the Mexico City Grand Prix
Friday October 24
9pm: The F1 Show
10pm: Team Bosses’ Press Conference
10.45pm: Mexico City GP Practice Two (session starts at 11pm)*
Saturday October 25
6.15pm: Mexico City GP Practice Three (session starts at 6.30pm)
9pm: Mexico City GP Qualifying build-up*
10pm: MEXICO CITY GP QUALIFYING*
Sunday October 26
6.30pm: Grand Prix Sunday: Mexico City GP build-up*
8pm: THE MEXICO CITY GRAND PRIX*
10pm: Chequered Flag: Mexico City GP reaction
*also on Sky Sports Main Event
Formula 1’s thrilling title race heads continues at the Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez for the Mexico City Grand Prix this weekend, live on Sky Sports F1. Stream Sky Sports with NOW – no contract, cancel anytime