Oscar Piastri had a moment late as Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc topped the times ahead of Mercedes’ Kimi Antonelli in a rookie-packed opening practice for this weekend’s Mexico City Grand Prix.

Series leader Piastri, 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 Tsun

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