Lewis Hamilton has made the perfect start to his bid to clinch a sixth Formula One world title at the Mexican Grand Prix by topping the first practice session.
The Briton posted a best one minute and 17.327 seconds around the 4.304km Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez in Mexico City on Friday with Mercedes teammate Valtteri Bottas fifth – a result which would secure the crown if replicated in the race.
Charles Leclerc of Ferrari was around one tenth of a second back while Red Bull’s Max Verstappen, winner of the last two Mexican races, was third.
Alexander Albon was fourth in the other Red Bull with Sebastian Vettel sixth for Ferrari.
Australian driver Daniel Ricciardo finished the session in 15th place.
The session took some time to get going after a slightly wet start and Lance Stroll also crashed his Racing Point into the wall to cause a red flag with around 30 minutes remaining.
Only Bottas can prevent Hamilton wrapping up the championship in the fourth-last race of the season.
He trails by 64 points and Hamilton will confirm victory if he earns 14 more points than him this weekend.
A modest ninth-place finish at the Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez was enough to ensure him the 2017 trophy, and he also clinched the 2018 title in Mexico without making the podium, placing fourth.
Mercedes have recently struggled with the high altitude of the track as the low air density can affect the downforce of the car and engine performance.