Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc led Mercedes driver Kimi Antonelli through first free practice at the Mexico Grand Prix, where the Italian is set to claim his first world title.
Leclerc was 0.659 seconds faster than Antonelli, for whom a ninth place would secure the championship regardless of other results.
Only a victory by teammate George Russell or Ferrari’s Lewis Hamilton can theoretically prevent Antonelli from becoming champion on Sunday. Even then, Antonelli only needs ninth place if Russell wins and 10th if Hamilton does.
Third fastest in the session was Mercedes reserve Frederik Vesti, driving Russell’s car, ahead of Hamilton.
Mercedes was one of 10 teams to choose this session to do one of their mandatory rookie sessions. Only Ferrari had both racing drivers in their cars.
Mexico City is chosen by many teams to hold their mandatory rookie sessions, as the first session is traditionally unrepresentative due to the dirty track surface.
Japan’s Ayumu Iwasa, replacing Max Verstappen at Red Bull, finished fifth, ahead of Alpine’s Pierre Gasly and Aston Martin’s Fernando Alonso.
McLaren’s Oscar Piastri, Haas’ Oliver Bearman and Racing Bulls’ Arvid Lindblad rounded out the top 10.
Briton Freddie Slater’s first outing at a Grand Prix weekend for Audi did not go as planned. Reliability problems limited its run to 14 laps, or about half a standard mileage. But he managed to come out during the last 20 minutes and set the 19th time.
He was just behind another Briton, Luke Browning making his final run in Williams.
American Colton Herta, who Cadillac plans to promote to F1 next year in place of Valtteri Bottas, finished 22nd.
The FIA governing body says nine-time Indycar winner Herta has now covered enough miles to score the 40 points he needs to gain the superlicense required to race in F1.
Gn sports
