Lucas Di Grassi topped the times in the opening free practice session ahead of the Mexico ePrix.
The reigning champion set a lap time of 1m01.158s, more than a second faster than last season’s pole position time from Oliver Turvey.
Di Grassi was the only driver to complete a lap time at full qualifying power. Venturi’s Edoardo Mortara was the fastest man running at 180kW, finishing 0.5s slower than Di Grassi.
Jean-Eric Vergne and Mitch Evans picked up third and fourth.
DS Virgin Racing bounced back from difficult races with some impressive lap times. Both Alex Lynn and Sam Bird spent most FP1 running at the sharp end of the times, with Lynn at the top of the times midway through the session. He dropped back to fifth by the chequered flag, with Bird finishing back in ninth.
A number of drivers were caught out on the dusty Mexican track as they explored the track limits, including Vergne and Nico Prost’s joint off at the chicane, but everyone managed to avoid contact with the walls.
The only driver to run into trouble was Andretti’s Tom Blomqvist, who briefly stopped on track. The Brit managed to get going again but was forced to return to the pits and ended the session 19th fastest.
Jose Maria Lopez and Felix Rosenqvsit finished sixth and seventh, ahead of Daniel Abt, who briefly led early in the session.
Sebastien Buemi rounded out the top 10.
Pos | Forename | Surname | Laps | Gap |
---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Lucas | DI GRASSI | 28 | 01:01.158 |
2 | Edoardo | MORTARA | 36 | 0.362 |
3 | Jean-Eric | VERGNE | 31 | 0.472 |
4 | Mitch | EVANS | 27 | 0.669 |
5 | Alex | LYNN | 26 | 0.691 |
6 | José Maria | LOPEZ | 27 | 0.713 |
7 | Felix | ROSENQVIST | 32 | 0.736 |
8 | Daniel | ABT | 31 | 0.740 |
9 | Sam | BIRD | 24 | 0.832 |
10 | Sébastien | BUEMI | 27 | 0.955 |
11 | Antonio Felix | DA COSTA | 31 | 1.073 |
12 | Nicolas | PROST | 29 | 1.086 |
13 | André | LOTTERER | 30 | 1.092 |
14 | Jérôme | D'AMBROSIO | 28 | 1.207 |
15 | Nelson | PIQUET | 27 | 1.221 |
16 | Nick | HEIDFELD | 26 | 1.224 |
17 | Oliver | TURVEY | 34 | 1.278 |
18 | Maro | ENGEL | 33 | 1.477 |
19 | Tom | BLOMQVIST | 21 | 1.656 |
20 | Luca | FILIPPI | 31 | 1.686 |