Leclerc Tops Mexico FP1 as Herta Secures Super Licence

Charles Leclerc set the pace in FP1 for the Mexican Grand Prix, comfortably leading Mercedes' Kimi Antonelli by 0.65s. The session featured 10 rookies, with only Ferrari running both full-time drivers. Colton Herta completed 30 laps to secure his FIA Super Licence, a major milestone for the Cadillac driver.

Why it matters:

With the championship likely decided this weekend, teams used FP1 to evaluate young talent and gather data at the high-altitude circuit. Herta's Super Licence unlocks his F1 future, while Vesti's impressive third for Mercedes signals his readiness.

The details:

• Leclerc's 1:18.128 on softs was unbeatable, as Antonelli fell short and Hamilton struggled with a slide at Turn 13.
• Frederik Vesti starred in the Mercedes, finishing third and just 0.1s off Antonelli.
• Rookie incidents were frequent: Jak Crawford stopped on track, Freddie Slater had a cooling fan left in his sidepod and later retired, and Isack Hadjar reported "no power" early on.
• Track limits caught out several drivers at Turn 1, including Oscar Piastri and Carlos Sainz.

What's next:

Teams will analyze altitude-sensitive power unit data ahead of qualifying, where Leclerc's Ferrari looks strong but Mercedes and the impressive rookies will push hard.