Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc led Mercedes’ Formula 1 drivers’ championship leader Kimi Antonelli in first practice for the 2026 Mexico Grand Prix as 10 rookie drivers took to the track.
📌 The Core Development
Leclerc set the benchmark of 1m18.128s to go 0.659 seconds faster than Antonelli, whose stand-in team-mate Fred Vesti was just 0.074s slower in third.
Mercedes’ Vesti was the fastest rookie in FP1, with every team bar Ferrari fielding a substitute for FP1.
🔍 Background & Sector Context
Leclerc’s team-mate Lewis Hamilton was 0.005s off Vesti in fourth, the top four having set their fastest times on softs.
Red Bull stand-in Ayumu Iwasa meanwhile went fifth, 0.985s off the pace, on mediums.
📊 Industry & Real-World Impact
Pierre Gasly took sixth for Alpine, just over a second away, while his rookie team-mate Gabriele Mini was 14th.
Benchmark Telemetry & EV Fuel Savings
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🔮 Strategic Outlook & What Lies Ahead
Fernando Alonso was 1.229s off the pace in seventh for Aston Martin on mediums. Alonso’s team-mate Jak Crawford, 19th, brought out the VSC late on as his Aston Martin stopped off track with a suspected ERS issue.
Oscar Piastri went eighth on softs while Leonardo Fornaroli, driving in place of Lando Norris in FP1, was 17th in the second McLaren.
