#F1 #MexicoGP FP1: @CharlesLeclerc fastest ahead of #Antonelli, @HulkHulkenberg.
Charles Leclerc, #16, Scuderia Ferrari, SF-25, Free Practice 1, Formula 1 Gran Premio De La Ciudad De Mexico 2025, Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez, Mexico City, Mexico. Image credit to Sam Bloxham/LAT Images. Leclerc Mexico GP FP1, 2025 Mexico GP FP1, F1 Mexico GP FP1, Formula 1 Mexico FP1.
Leclerc Mexico GP FP1 – Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc topped the opening practice session at the Mexico GP ahead of Mercedes’ Andrea Kimi Antonelli and Sauber’s Nico Hulkenberg who completed the top three runners.
Leclerc set the session-topping benchmark with the C5 red side-walled softer compounds of a 1:18.380 and was 0.107 seconds off Antonelli whilst Hulkenberg was a further 0.380 seconds adrift of the Monegasque driver in third.
The opening practice session featured rookies and reserve drivers with:
- Arvid Lindblad in place of reigning world champion Max Verstappen at Red Bull.
- Pato O’Ward in place of Lando Norris at McLaren.
- Antonio Fuoco in place of Sir Lewis Hamilton at Ferrari.
- Frederik Vesti in place of George Russell at Mercedes.
- Luke Browning in place of Carlos Sainz at Williams.
- Paul Aron in place of Pierre Gasly at Alpine.
- Ayumu Iwasa in place of Liam Lawson at Racing Bulls.
- Jak Crawford in place of Lance Stroll at Aston Martin.
- Ryo Hirakawa in place of Oliver Bearman at Haas.
Mercedes’ Frederik Vesti lead the pack out on the C2 white-marked harder compounds.
Vesti set the opening benchmark of a 1:24.851, which was beaten by RB’s Isack Hadjar’s 1:22.001 with the Frenchman’s best effort on the C4 mediums.
McLaren’s Pato O’Ward slotted into second with his 1:22.981, which was ousted by team-mate Oscar Piastri’s 1:22.808.
Red Bull’s Yuki Tsunoda jumped to second with his 1:22.807 effort.
Ferrari’s Leclerc then moved to P1 with his 1:21.939 on the harder rubber as Sauber’s Nico Hulkenberg took third to be 0.788 seconds off.
Vesti slipped into fourth place on a 1:22.582 as Haas’s Esteban Ocon with two purple sectors hit a 1:21.884 to go fastest but this was short-lived as Piastri shot to the head of the times posting a 1:21.570.
Tsunoda then with three personal bests slotted into third setting a 1:21.669 effort as Hadjar planted his VCARB02 quickest with a 1:21.091 to be 0.479 seconds clear of Piastri at the session’s ninth minute mark.
Vesti with three personal bests took fourth as Ocon returned to the top with a 1:20.934 to be 0.157 seconds quicker of Hadjar.
Leclerc moved up into third to be 0.504 seconds off Ocon’s best time with his 1:21.438.
Tsunoda then jumped to third with a purple final sector to end up 0,212 seconds off Ocon’s benchmark.
Alpine’s Franco Colapinto went fifth quickest overall with three personal bests to be 0.627 seconds off Ocon’s best time.
Hulkenberg went fastest with his 1:20.667 but was brief as with three purple sectors Hadjar reclaimed top spot on a 1:20.128 to be 0.539 seconds quicker than the German as the session reached the opening quarter.
Ocon then jumped to third to be 0.388 seconds off as Tsunoda demoted the Frenchman with his 1:20.495 flyer to earn second spot at this stage of proceedings.
Tsunoda was 0.367 seconds off Hadjar’s effort.
Ocon with a purple middle sector moved to second on a 1:20.357 as Mercedes’ Andrea Kimi Antonelli with a purple sector one and two PB’s jumped to third on a 1:20.396 to end up 0.268 adrift of Hadjar’s benchmark.
Antonelli was next and with the quickest sector one and two personal bests went quickest on a 1:20.035 seconds to be a slim 0.093 seconds clear as the session reached the 22nd-minute mark.
Tsunoda on his 12th tour on the harder rubber was 0.220 seconds off Antonelli’s time in third after his next lap.
Hadjar with a purple sector two and personal best final sector went fastest on a 1:20.005 and was 0.030 seconds clear of Antonelli and was on his eighth lap on the medium compounds.
The majority of the teams returned back to the pits with less than 40 minutes remaining to adjust their setups as championship leader Piastri was the first to venture out on the C5 softer rubber.
With a personal best opening sector and two purples Piastri went fastest with a 1:19.035 to be 0.970 seconds ahead of Hadjar.
Williams’ Browning jumped to fifth place with a 1:20.310 to be 1.275 seconds off as Williams’ Alexander Albon pushed to second place in the order on a 1:19.384 to wound up 0.349 seconds off Piastri’s best effort with his middle purple sector.
Leclerc took P1 with his 1:18.895 with a purple final sector, but then Piastri reclaimed top spot with a 1:18.784.
Antonelli then went fastest on a 1:18.487 with s purple sector three as Hulkenberg just fell 0.273 short of the Italian in second place with his 1:18.760 effort on the C5’s and a purple middle sector.
Tsunoda with three personal bests split Leclerc and Albon in fifth place setting a 1:19.275 to end up 0.788 seconds off Antonelli’s time-topping effort.
Leclerc with two personal bests and a purple final sector went quickest on the time-sheets posting a 1:18.380 to be 0.107 seconds clear of Antonelli as the Monegasque driver completed his fifth tour on the C5’s.
Aston Martin’s Fernando Alonso with two personal bests could only manage ninth best with a 1:19.472 to end up 1.092 seconds adrift of Leclerc’s best effort on his fifth lap on the softer compounds,
Yellow flags were waved with less than 20 minutes remaining as Hadjar ran off near the stadium section at turn 12.
The Frenchman managed to reverse out of the run-off area and continue on.
Tsunoda went fifth overall with three personal bests efforts setting a 1:19.090 seconds to end up 0710 seconds off Leclerc’s best time.
Most of the field returned to their respective garages for another setup adjustment change with less than 15 minutes to go as Colapinto on his flying lap on the softs went eighth in the classification on a 1:19.331 as Sauber’s Gabriel Bortoleto with three personal bests hit seventh on a 1:19.218 to be 0.838 seconds off Leclerc’s best time.
Ocon with a personal best final sector jumped to fifth overall on a 1:19.038 to be 0.658 seconds off Leclerc on top.
Lindblad was next to post his flyer as he goes fifth quickest posting a 1:18.997 to be 0.617 seconds adrift of Leclerc with 11 minutes remaining on the clock.
Bortoleto followed and with three personal best efforts took fifth setting a 1:18.916 to end up 0.536 off Leclerc in the order.
The drivers continued to work on their race run data gathering to close out the session with a mixture of the C2, C4 and C5 tyres.
The session ended with Leclerc on top with Antonelli second and Hulkenberg rounding out the top three.
Championship leader Piastri was fourth in the order and ahead of Bortoleto who placed fifth and Lindblad who took sixth in the classification.
Ocon was seventh best and in-front Tsunoda who ended FP1 eighth whilst Colapinto and Albon completed the top ten runners.
You can see the full Formula 1 Gran Premio De La Ciudad De Mexico 2025 Free Practice 1 Results Classification at the link: FORMULA 1 GRAN PREMIO DE LA CIUDAD DE MÉXICO 2025 – PRACTICE 1
#F1 Gran Premio De La Ciudad De Mexico 2025 Preview. #MexicanGP
