Nine young drivers were allowed to take part in the first training session in Mexico. The data analysis shows: One Red Bull talent in particular left a lasting impression.
Arvid Lindblad was the rookie everyone was talking about after the first free practice session in Mexico. The 18-year-old Brit was allowed to drive Max Verstappen’s Red Bull – and immediately impressed with a strong performance. Despite the enormous pressure to bring the world champion’s car back unscathed, Lindblad made a clear statement.
“He did a solid job,” praises Red Bull’s motorsport consultant Helmut Marko. “It was a difficult situation for him. Everyone told him: ‘Don’t make a mistake, don’t scratch the car’ – but he still delivered. He was by far the fastest rookie, and his technical feedback was also very impressive.”
Marko emphasizes that Lindblad worked calmly and analytically: “He never got nervous, stayed calm and his technical feedback really had weight. It was very precise, clear work.”
Different programs, but clear picture
Lindblad mainly completed qualifying simulations, while Yuki Tsunoda also did long runs in the sister car. Nevertheless, Lindblad was a tenth faster in the end – a remarkable achievement for a debutant.
“We deliberately let him drive with a low tank level,” explains Red Bull team boss Laurent Mekies. “He didn’t have to deal with changing fuel levels like we normally do. But he did a very, very good job. The pace was there – there’s nothing to change that.”
Marko adds that despite small technical differences between the cars, there was no performance advantage: “The cars were largely the same. The main issue here in Mexico is cooling because of the thin air – but the differences were small.”
McLaren: No real comparison between O’Ward and Piastri
At McLaren, a direct comparison was hardly possible. Local hero Pato O’Ward drove a lot of laps, but completed different programs than Oscar Piastri. While the Australian was focused on classic set-up work and qualifying simulations, O’Ward completed longer stints with a medium amount of fuel.
Accordingly, the comparison was clear: O’Ward was around nine tenths slower in the end – although under different conditions.
Ferrari: Fuoco far behind Leclerc
The situation at Ferrari was clearer. Antonio Fuoco, who was Charles Leclerc’s teammate in Formula 2 in 2017, was once again unable to hold a candle to the Monegasque. There were probably different run plans here too. In the end, Fuoco was almost 2.5 seconds behind.
Either he was running on a medium amount of fuel and was using it for qualifying simulations – or he was simply very slow. Even back then at Prema, Leclerc had clearly distanced himself from his Italian teammate – the picture was repeated eight years later in Mexico with Formula 1 cars.
Mercedes: Antonelli clearly faster than Vesti
A particularly revealing comparison took place at Mercedes. Andrea Kimi Antonelli and Frederik Vesti ran almost identical programs – with clear differences. On a fast lap, Vesti was eight tenths slower, in the long run even around a second per lap.
Aston Martin: Crawford with a solid debut
At Aston Martin, young driver Jak Crawford was allowed to take the wheel. The American drove almost the same program as Fernando Alonso – and did admirably. On a fast lap he was around nine tenths short, but on a long run he was only two tenths short per lap.
Alpine: Aron strong in the long run
Alpine tested Paul Aron alongside Franco Colapinto in the first training session. Both completed almost identical programs, which makes the comparison particularly interesting. Colapinto was five tenths faster on a fast lap, but in the long run Aron turned the tables and was three tenths faster per lap.
Haas: Hirakawa far behind
The rookie campaign at Haas was less positive. Toyota reservist Ryo Hirakawa, who usually shines in Super Formula, had no chance against Esteban Ocon in the VF-25. He lost a full second on a fast lap, and even up to 2.5 seconds per lap on a long run.
Racing Bulls: Hadjar impresses against Iwasa
At the Racing Bulls, Ayumu Iwasa was allowed to take the wheel alongside Isack Hadjar. Both drove slightly different programs – similar to Red Bull – but the comparison to Hadjar was clear: the Frenchman was seven tenths faster on a fast lap. But there is no long run comparison.
Williams: Browning neat, but Albon clearly ahead
Williams let Luke Browning replace Carlos Sainz – and the youngster did a good job. The program was almost identical to that of Alexander Albon, who was clearly faster: nine tenths on a fast lap, but only two tenths on the long run.
Has Lindblad secured the Formula 1 cockpit with this?
Overall, Mexico’s rookie Friday was a mixture of talent testing, gaining experience and clear boundaries. While some like Fuoco and Hirakawa had to accept big deficits, others showed themselves to be real candidates for future regular places.
Arvid Lindblad apparently left the best impression – not only on the observers, but also on Helmut Marko: “He delivered. He was calm, precise, fast – and under great pressure.” It was already clear beforehand that Lindblad was already being considered as a possible Racing Bulls driver for 2026.
Marko never really wanted to be seen in the cards when it came to the driver decision in the Red Bull cosmos, but the weekend in Mexico served as a benchmark for the decision. It is believed that Isack Hadjar will be promoted to the senior team and either Yuki Tsunoda or Liam Lawson will be dropped to make way for Lindblad at Racing Bulls.