F1 2026 Mexican Grand Prix FP1: Leclerc Leads Amid Stand-in Chaos
Summary
Charles Leclerc set the fastest time in a chaotic FP1 for the 2026 Mexican Grand Prix, but with nearly half the grid featuring stand-in drivers, the true pecking order remains unclear at the high-altitude circuit.
Charles Leclerc topped the timesheets in a disrupted FP1 for the 2026 Mexican Grand Prix, where almost half the field ran stand-in drivers. The session provided the first real test of the new lower-downforce 2026 cars at the high-altitude Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez, adding another layer of complexity to an already unpredictable pecking order.
Why it matters:
- Mexico City's high altitude significantly reduces downforce and cooling efficiency, making it a critical validation ground for the 2026 regulations.
- With so many regular drivers sitting out, teams gathered crucial data with unfamiliar hands, but the true competitive picture is far from clear.
The details:
- Leclerc's 1m18.128s put him 0.659s clear of Mercedes' Kimi Antonelli, with stand-in Fred Vesti third in the other Mercedes.
- Lewis Hamilton was fourth, followed by Red Bull stand-in Ayumu Iwasa.
- The session featured a host of substitutes, including Vesti, Iwasa, Nikola Tsolov, Gabriele Mini, Ryo Hirakawa, Leonardo Fornaroli, Jak Crawford, Luke Browning, Freddie Slater, and Colton Herta.
- Teams had to balance the need to adapt to the new lower-downforce 2026 cars with the challenge of extracting meaningful data from drivers unfamiliar with the machinery.
What's next:
FP2 will see the full regular lineup return, offering a clearer view of the true competitive order. The data gathered from the stand-ins will be vital for optimizing setups for the unique demands of Mexico City.
Original Article :https://www.the-race.com/formula-1/f1-2026-mexican-grand-prix-practice-results/