Mexico City Grand Prix: Charles Leclerc fastest in first practice

Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc set the pace in a first practice session at the Mexico City Grand Prix in which nine teams ran rookie drivers.

Leclerc was 0.107 seconds quicker than Mercedes’ Kimi Antonelli in second place, with Sauber’s Nico Hulkenberg third from McLaren’s championship leader Oscar Piastri.

Neither of Piastri’s title rivals, his team-mate Lando Norris and Red Bull’s Max Verstappen, took part in the first session.

Piastri leads Norris by 14 points with five races to go; Verstappen is 40 points off the lead after three wins and a second place in the past four races.

Norris was replaced by Mexican Indycar driver Pato O’Ward, who was 13th fastest, while Red Bull’s British junior Arvid Lindblad drove Verstappen’s car.

Lindblad, who is expected to race for Racing Bulls next season, finished the session sixth fastest – two places and 0.093 seconds ahead of regular Red Bull racer Yuki Tsunoda.

Sauber’s Gabriel Bortoleto was fifth fastest, with Haas driver Esteban Ocon seventh.

Behind Tsunoda in eighth, Alpine’s Franco Colapinto and Williams’ Alex Albon completed the top 10.

Both Lindblad and Racing Bulls’ Isack Hadjar had spins at Turn 12, the corner that brings the drivers into the Foro Sol baseball stadium, where much of the crowd sits.

And Piastri had an off through the Esses late in the session, without any harm.

The teams choose Mexico for one of their mandatory rookie sessions as the dusty track makes the session one of the least meaningful of the season.