Mexico rookie invasion as Vesti leads Mercedes, Minì ahead of Fornaroli

Yesterday in Mexico City was an important day for many young drivers. No fewer than 10 had the chance to get behind the wheel of a Formula 1 car during the first practice session of the weekend.

For several years, teams have been required to give one of their two cars to a rookie on at least four occasions over the course of a season. Introduced by the FIA, the system is designed to bring the drivers of the future closer to the F1 paddock and showcase young talent.

Alongside Kimi Antonelli, two other Italians were in action yesterday: Leonardo Fornaroli for McLaren and Gabriele Minì for Alpine. The Piacenza-born driver, standing in for Lando Norris, finished his hour of running in 17th, while Oscar Piastri was eighth. The Palermo-born driver was slightly quicker than his compatriot, finishing 14th, just over eight tenths behind Gasly in sixth.

For Leonardo Fornaroli, McLaren's reserve driver who is also involved in the British team's Hypercar programme, it was his third appearance in an official practice session this season, following outings in Barcelona and Budapest. At the wheel of the MCL40, the Italian completed the team's planned programme.

"It was really exciting to be back on track in FP1 with McLaren Mastercard and I am grateful to the team and Lando for giving me this opportunity. It was my first time at this circuit and it was not easy to immediately find the right confidence, especially in getting the front tyres up to the correct temperature on a track that, particularly at the start, offered very little grip," the Italian said after getting out of the car. "I am very happy to be part of this team and to work closely with the engineers, always trying to provide precise feedback to contribute to the development of the car. It is very important for me to continue gaining experience in Formula 1 as I grow as a driver."

For Gabriele, meanwhile, it was his first-ever official Formula 1 session. The Italian had the opportunity to drive the Alpine, taking part in a programme focused primarily on aerodynamic checks and data collection for the team: "It was an incredible experience to drive for the first time in an official Formula 1 session. First of all, I want to thank Flavio, Steve and the whole team for this opportunity: it was a truly unforgettable moment. The session was positive. The team had prepared a precise programme involving aerodynamic testing and data collection, and I tried to remain as consistent as possible, gradually building up the pace lap after lap. It is a very particular circuit, demanding both aerodynamically and for the power unit, with many aspects to understand and manage. It is all part of the learning process, but it was fantastic to experience this."

Further down the order, Frederik Vesti drove the second Mercedes and finished third, less than a tenth behind Antonelli. Ayumu Iwasa was fifth for Red Bull, while Ryo Irakawa finished 15th for Haas, Jak Crawford was 19th at the wheel of the Aston Martin after having to stop a few minutes from the end when his car suffered a power-unit issue on the main straight, and Luke Browning was 20th for Williams.

It was a different story for Colton Herta, who returned to the track with Cadillac after completing the four mandatory sessions, attempting to cover the 100km required to earn the final point needed for an FIA Super Licence and thus be eligible to take part in a Formula 1 Grand Prix.

Although he completed the required mileage, the FIA carried out further checks overnight in Italy and discovered that IndyCar, the American championship in which Herta has raced in recent years, had made an error in compiling the final standings for the 2025 season. As a result, the point earned yesterday is not enough for him to reach the required threshold: the American driver remains on 39 points.

There were also two other outright debuts at the circuit named after the Rodriguez brothers: Nikola Tsolov with Racing Bulls, who finished his first hour of running in 12th, just over a tenth behind team-mate Arvid Lindblad in 10th, and the very young Freddie Slater with Audi.

The Briton, who will make his Formula 2 debut with Invicta in 2027, was able to take part in his first Formula 1 practice session immediately after the conclusion of the F3 championship, where he finished second behind Ugo Ugochukwu. Despite positive feelings, with the Englishman enjoying this "crazy moment", his running was heavily compromised by technical issues. However, he will have the opportunity to make amends next week in Sao Paulo.

Mexico FP1: rookie standings

Photo: Finlay Williams / WHYOUT images

Photo: Ryan Fleming / WHYOUT images

All the news, photos, weather, session times and times from the Mexican GP 2026