The Japan Times - Leclerc tops reserve-filled first practice in Mexico

Series leader Oscar PIastri of McLaren, looking for a return to form, was fourth behind Sauber’s Nico Hulkenberg, four-tenths off the pace in a session when his main rivals were inactive as nine teams obeyed sporting regulation requirements to run reserves.

Leclerc clocked a best lap in one minute and 18.380 seconds to beat Italian rookie Antonelli by 0.107 with Hulkenberg three-tenths adrift and Piastri further back ahead of Gabriel Bortoleto in the second Sauber.

British rookie Arvid Lindblad was an impressive sixth for Red Bull in the car usually occupied by Max Verstappen, ahead of Haas’s Esteban Ocon, Yuki Tsunoda in the second Red Bull and Alpine’s Franco Colapinto.

Alex Albon was 10th for Williams ahead of Racing Bulls’ regular impressive rookie Isack Hadjar, two-time champion Fernando Alonso of Aston Martin, Mexican Patricio O’Ward in Lando Norris’s McLaren and Dane Frederik Vesti in George Russell’s Mercedes.

For Piastri, 14 points ahead of Norris and 40 ahead of Verstappen in the drivers’ title race, it was hardly the emphatic statement of intent he and McLaren may have hoped for on a bright and warm day at the Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez, where the thin air affects aerodynamics and turbochargers.

With nine rookie reserves standing in for established drivers – only Sauber sticking with their usual pairing – the session provided an opportunity for Piastri to take advantage of the absences of Norris, Verstappen, Russell and Hamilton who would have only one hour of practice to adapt.

The Dutchman, who has won three of the last four races, had the satisfaction of knowing Red Bull had brought another set of upgrades to Mexico including a revised floor while McLaren continued, as they had for several weeks, without any car updates.

Given that fillip, it was no surprise that several paddock observers were expecting Verstappen to deliver more stress for McLaren who were warned late Thursday, by Hamilton, that they needed to "dig deep" to resist his charge for a fifth title.

- 'High level' -

@You really have to be cut-throat," said the seven-time champion.

"That’s what Max is and he’s going to take this from them if they don’t do the same. They’ve got to be pushing."

His Ferrari team-mate Charles Leclerc added: “Max is always driving at a very high level and Red Bull is probably the one team that has pushed developments more than any other.

"I think McLaren stopped quite a while ago. We also stopped quite a while ago and Mercedes and Red Bull are the two teams that pushed for a bit longer so it is not a complete surprise.”

On track, Leclerc set the opening best lap in 1:21.939 before a brief best time from Esteban Ocon preceded Piastri taking control in 1:21.570.

Ocon replied with 1:20.934, trimmed by Hadjar in 1:20.128 – and then Piastri, on softs, did 1:19.035 to go clear by a second.

In the improving conditions, as the track ‘rubbered in’, further soft-compound laps from Leclerc and then Antonelli took the initiative, the Italian posting 1:18.487 to go two-tenths clear before Leclerc responded again with 1:18.380.

Ferrari’s form in Texas, coupled to their latest upgrades, clearly buoyed the team, adding another threat to Piastri’s hopes of recovering his pre-September consistency and boosting his title bid with a win.

K.Tanaka--JT