Max Verstappen topped the first practice session for the Mexican Grand Prix, but only after running wide and skipping the apex of Turn 11 on his hot lap.
Verstappen's time was 0.305s quicker than Daniil Kvyat and Kimi Raikkonen in joint second, but the time would not have been allowed to stand in a qualifying session as he clearly gained an advantage by exceeding track limits. Despite the mistake, Verstappen showed impressive commitment as he kept his foot to the floor through the run off and held a big slide as he rejoined the track.
Kvyat was classified ahead of Raikkonen by virtue of setting his time earlier in the session, but the pair set identical times of 1:36.295, which should be considered the benchmark so far. Sebastian Vettel was over 0.5s off his team-mate in fourth but ahead of the second Red Bull of Daniel Ricciardo in fifth. The session started in damp conditions and grip levels remained low throughout the 90 minutes, causing a number of drivers to explore the run-off areas.
Nico Rosberg was the faster of the two Mercedes but had his session interrupted when his rear brakes caught fire after running wide at Turn 12. As Rosberg returned to the track flames were licking from his rear wheels, presenting a dramatic show for the fans sat in the old baseball stadium at the end of the lap. He immediately returned to the pits where he remained for 25 minutes while Mercedes assessed the damage and made changes to allow for more cooling. Rosberg finished the session 1.2s off Verstappen's pace, with world champion Lewis Hamilton a further second shy in the second Mercedes.
Home hero Sergio Perez finished the session in a respectable ninth place, albeit 1.5s off the pace. The two Williams also made it into the top ten along with the second Toro Rosso of Carlos Sainz. McLaren, which is expecting a difficult weekend, ended FP1 split by the Manor of Alexander Rossi, although Jenson Button only managed nine laps in the 90 minutes.