Franco Colapinto, ninth in Mexico’s first test

The Argentine started strong in the strange initial training session, which had nine rookies on the track and had Charles Leclerc at the top.

Strange and mixed, this was the first practice session of the Mexico City GP, the 20th date of the 2025 Formula 1 year. With Sauber as the only team that arrived in the Mexican capital with the rookie sessions completed, the other nine teams decided to use the start of the activity at the Hermanos Rodríguez to catch up with the regulations. Thus, there were nine rookies spinning on the track, while some heavy names like Max Verstappen, Lewis Hamilton and Lando Norris, among others, watched from the pits. In this context, Alpine had to leave Pierre Gasly out of the round, who still had two rookie sessions with his A525 (the other will be completed in Abu Dhabi) and Franco Colapinto went out to spin like the experienced Enstone rider.

ANDThe Argentine driver completed a good test in which he started with hard tires in a stint of 15 laps, in which he suffered a slight mistake and ran through the gravel. Then it was time for five laps on soft tires and that’s when the best time came.. In his first attempt with the soft ones he scored 1m19s669 and lowered it in the second, by nailing 1m19s331, which would finally be his mark that left him in ninth place overall. From there, he completed the test with hard tires and closed it with 31 laps.

Paul Aron turned in the second Alpine, the reserve of the Enstone team, who had a different program than the Argentine. After performing 14 turns on hard, he completed the test with 15 on soft. The Estonian set a best time of 1m19s862, placing 15th and 531 thousandths of Colapinto.

Among the starters who remained behind Franco in the round are Alex Albon (tenth), Isack Hadjar (11th) and Fernando Alonso (12th). The fact is that Williams and Racing Bulls did not use the soft compound at any time.

Charles Leclerc was the fastest in training, with 1m18s380 and 107 thousandths ahead of Kimi Antonelli. Nico Hülkenberg was third with the Sauber and Oscar Piastri, fourth at 404. Among the rookies, Arvid Lindblad was sixth with Max Verstappen’s Red Bull and was the only rookie to beat the starter (Yuki Tsunoda was eighth).