Leclerc shows practice pace as Antonelli prowls in Mexico

Ferrari's Charles Leclerc led the times during the Mexico City Grand Prix's opening free practice session on Friday. Leclerc's best lap time of one minute and 18.128 seconds outpaced Mercedes' championship leader Kimi Antonelli by 0.659 seconds. Antonelli, who had missed Thursday's session due to illness, could become the sport's youngest world champion if he finishes in the top nine, or if his remaining rivals fail to win.

Mercedes team-mate George Russell and Ferrari's seven-time champion Lewis Hamilton were among those who missed FP1, with reserve driver Frederik Vesti finishing third fastest for Mercedes. Red Bull's Ayumi Iwasa was fifth in the car usually occupied by Max Verstappen, while Pierre Gasly was sixth for Alpine. Fernando Alonso, Oscar Piastri, Oliver Bearman, and Arvid Lindblad rounded out the top ten.

Sebastian Hamilton started the session first and was followed by several rookies, including future stars. Ferrari was the only team not to run a rookie in FP1, which featured 10 rookies in action. The session took place on a high-altitude circuit with engines struggling due to the thin air.