Ferrari made a strong start to the 2026 Mexico City Grand Prix weekend as Charles Leclerc topped the opening free practice session, comfortably beating Mercedes driver Kimi Antonelli in a session featuring ten rookie and reserve drivers.
At the Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez, the Monegasque driver posted a fastest lap in the 1:18.1s, finishing 0.659 seconds ahead of the championship leader. Frederik Vesti delivered an impressive performance to secure third place in the second Mercedes, while Lewis Hamilton completed the session in fourth.
Leclerc sets the pace as Antonelli settles for second
Antonelli made a competitive start to the session, immediately showing strong pace before Ferrari gradually moved to the top of the timesheets.
After the opening runs, which focused primarily on collecting data and assessing track conditions, Leclerc switched to soft tyres and significantly improved his lap time.
The Ferrari driver established a commanding advantage that none of his rivals managed to overturn during the closing stages.
Antonelli finished second, 0.659 seconds behind Leclerc, confirming his position as the closest challenger.
For the young Italian, who arrives in Mexico following his victory at the United States Grand Prix in Austin, this could prove to be a historic weekend. The Mercedes driver has the opportunity to mathematically secure his maiden Formula 1 World Championship.
Vesti surprises in third as Hamilton finishes fourth
One of the standout performances of the session came from Frederik Vesti, who replaced George Russell at Mercedes.
The Danish driver secured third place with a lap of 1:18.861, finishing just 0.102 seconds behind Antonelli and emerging as the fastest of the reserve and rookie drivers taking part.
Hamilton finished fourth in the second Ferrari, unable to match Leclerc’s pace after making mistakes during his soft-tyre attempt.
Ayumu Iwasa completed the top five, driving the Red Bull normally occupied by Max Verstappen.
Mexico City Grand Prix 2026 – FP1 top five
| Pos. | Driver | Team |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Charles Leclerc | Ferrari |
| 2 | Kimi Antonelli | Mercedes |
| 3 | Frederik Vesti | Mercedes |
| 4 | Lewis Hamilton | Ferrari |
| 5 | Ayumu Iwasa | Red Bull |
Ten rookies take to the track as Fornaroli and Minì gain valuable experience
The opening practice session in Mexico City featured an unusually large number of young drivers, with ten of the eleven teams choosing to field a rookie or reserve driver to fulfil their regulatory obligations.
Among them were two Italian talents: Leonardo Fornaroli, who replaced Lando Norris at McLaren, and Gabriele Minì, who stepped into Franco Colapinto’s Alpine.
Freddie Slater also gained valuable mileage with Audi, while Nikola Tsolov drove for Racing Bulls, Luke Browning represented Williams, Jak Crawford took part for Aston Martin, and Ryo Hirakawa appeared for Haas.
Ferrari was the only team to retain both of its regular drivers, allowing Leclerc and Hamilton to complete their planned programmes without interruption.
Colton Herta reaches important Super Licence milestone
Another notable storyline emerged from the Cadillac garage, where Colton Herta took over Valtteri Bottas’ car for the opening session.
The American completed 24 laps, covering the 100 kilometres required to secure the final point needed to qualify for an FIA Super Licence.
The achievement represents an important milestone for Herta as he continues working towards a potential full-time Formula 1 opportunity.
Ferrari makes a promising start, but FP2 will provide a clearer picture
Leclerc’s impressive advantage offers Ferrari plenty of encouragement heading into the remainder of the Mexico City Grand Prix weekend.
However, the unusual number of reserve drivers and the different running programmes adopted by the teams make it difficult to establish the true competitive order.
The second free practice session should provide a more representative picture, with regular drivers returning to their cars and teams focusing on qualifying performance and long-run simulations.
The unique characteristics of the Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez, particularly its high altitude and reduced air density, will also play an important role in determining car performance throughout the weekend.
For now, Leclerc has delivered the first statement of intent in Mexico City, while Antonelli remains his closest challenger. Mercedes can also take encouragement from Vesti’s impressive performance, but Ferrari has clearly emerged as the early benchmark.