PRACTICE DEBRIEF: It's tantalisingly close in Mexico – but who has emerged as the team to beat?

The Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez’s Estadio stadium section once again played host to the roar of 20 Formula 1 cars as Friday practice got under way for the Mexico City Grand Prix – and as has been the case in recent races, it was tantalisingly close at the sharp end and in the midfield.

Form was particularly tricky to read as running was disrupted by three red flags across the two sessions while five young drivers got their shot to shine in FP1 as part of the rule that mandates teams must run them in at least two sessions per year.