Charles Leclerc was fastest in the opening Formula 1 practice session at the Mexican Grand Prix as nine of the 10 teams ran an FP1-only rookie driver.
Mexico is a popular pick for F1 teams to fulfil one of the four mandatory 'rookie' practice outings that they each have to complete this season, with a very low-grip, 'green' track, which is very different come FP2.
Formula 2 race winner and 2026 Racing Bulls seat contender Arvid Lindblad turned out to be the quickest of those nine FP1-only rookies, setting the sixth-fastest time in the session, 0.617s slower than pacesetter Leclerc.
But that was 0.093s faster than regular Red Bull driver Tsunoda, who is battling with Lindblad and Liam Lawson to keep his place on the F1 grid - with Isack Hadjar highly likely to take Tsunoda's Red Bull seat for 2026.
IndyCar race winner Pato O'Ward was the second quickest of the FP1 stand-ins in 13th for McLaren, in front of his adoring home crowd.
He was 1.3s adrift of Leclerc, with Fred Vesti just 0.009s slower in his second FP1 outing of the season.
Vesti was 1.2s slower than regular Mercedes driver Kimi Antonelli, who was second fastest.
FP1 rookies' gaps to team-mate
Lindblad -0.093s
Aron +0.531s
Iwasa +0.744s
Crawford +0.899s
Browning +0.926s
O'Ward +0.929s
Hirakawa +1.035s
Vesti +1.202s
Fuoco +2.474s
Sauber was the only team on the grid not to field an FP1-only rookie, as it's already fulfilled its mandatory quota.
Nico Hulkenberg was third fastest with Gabriel Bortoleto fifth. Championship leader Oscar Piastri split them in fourth.
Paul Aron was 15th as Alpine got a head-to-head comparison of him and Franco Colapinto, the driver Aron is fighting to become Pierre Gasly's 2026 team-mate.
Reserve driver Aron was 0.531s slower than Colapinto, who ended up ninth.
Ryo Hirakawa was 16th in his third FP1 outing for Haas this year, ahead of Super Formula title contender Ayumu Iwasa, who was 17th for Racing Bulls.
F2 drivers Luke Browning (Williams) and Jak Crawford (Aston Martin) were 18th and 19th, respectively, with sportscar ace Antonio Fuoco 20th for Ferrari on his FP1 debut.
FP1 times
1 Charles Leclerc (Ferrari) 1m18.380s
2 Kimi Antonelli (Mercedes) +0.107s
3 Nico Hulkenberg (Sauber) +0.380s
4 Oscar Piastri (McLaren) +0.404s
5 Gabriel Bortoleto (Sauber) +0.536s
6 Arvid Lindblad (Red Bull) +0.617s
7 Esteban Ocon (Haas) +0.658s
8 Yuki Tsunoda (Red Bull) +0.710s
9 Franco Colapinto (Alpine) +0.951s
10 Albon (Williams) +1.004s
11 Isack Hadjar (Racing Bulls) +1.029s
12 Fernando Alonso (Aston Martin) +1.092s
13 Pato O'Ward (McLaren) +1.300s
14 Fred Vesti (Mercedes) +1.309s
15 Paul Aron (Alpine) +1.482s
16 Ryo Hirakawa (Haas) +1.693s
17 Ayumu Iwasa (Racing Bulls) +1.773s
18 Luke Browning (Williams) +1.930s
19 Jak Crawford (Aston Martin) +1.991s
20 Antonio Fuoco (Ferrari) +2.474s
