Leclerc Leads FP1 in Mexico as Rookie Antonelli Impresses

Charles Leclerc showed he is still a force to be reckoned with in the high‑altitude streets of Mexico City, posting the fastest lap in the first free‑practice session (FP1) for the 2024 Mexican Grand Prix. The Ferrari driver clocked a 1:16.842, comfortably ahead of the McLaren rookie Kimi Antonelli, who posted a 1:17.045 to finish second.

Leclerc’s performance was highlighted by a smooth line through the Peraltada corner and a strong exit onto the long back‑straight, allowing him to extract maximum speed from the 4.304‑km circuit. The Ferrari team, which has been working on a new aerodynamic package for the season, appeared to benefit from the upgrades, with the driver’s lap time edging out his teammate Carlos Sainz by just 0.3 seconds.

Antonelli, the 2023 Formula 2 champion making his Formula 1 debut with McLaren, impressed many by being the fastest of the newcomers and the only driver outside the top three teams to breach the 1:17 barrier. The 19‑year‑old’s lap was a solid 0.2 seconds slower than Leclerc, but his consistency through the session and ability to keep the car on the limit earned praise from analysts at Motorsport.com and Autosport.

Other notable performances included Red Bull’s Max Verstappen, who qualified third in the session, and Mercedes’ George Russell, who was fourth. The midfield battle remained tight, with Alpine’s Esteban Ocon and Aston Martin’s Fernando Alonso both posting times within a tenth of a second of each other.

For Indian fans: The Mexican Grand Prix weekend will be broadcast live on FanCode, with practice sessions starting at 12:30 IST on Friday, qualifying at 16:00 IST on Saturday, and the race kicking off at 22:00 IST on Sunday. Fans can also follow live timing on the official F1 app, which offers a dedicated Indian commentary feed.

Source: Motorsport.com