Mexico City Grand Prix: Charles Leclerc fastest in first practice

Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc set the pace in the first practice session for the Mexico City Grand Prix, where nine teams fielded rookie drivers.

Leclerc took second place, 0.107 seconds faster than Mercedes’ Kimi Antonelli, while Sauber’s Nico Hulkenberg took third place behind McLaren’s championship leader Oscar Piastri.

Piastri’s championship rivals, teammate Lando Norris and Red Bull’s Max Verstappen, did not take part in the first session.

Piastri is 13 points ahead of Norris with five races remaining; Verstappen is 40 points behind the leader after three wins and second place in the last four races.

Norris was replaced by Mexican Indycar driver Pato O’Ward, who ranked 13th fastest, while Red Bull’s British young pilot Arvid Lindblad was driving 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, while Haas driver Esteban Ocon was seventh.

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

Both Lindblad and the Racing Bulls’ Isack Hadjar spun in Turn 12, the corner that takes drivers into the Foro Sol baseball stadium, where most of the crowd was seated.

And Piastri overtook Esses unscathed late in the session.

Teams are choosing Mexico for one of their mandatory rookie sessions as the dusty track has become one of the least meaningful of the season.