What happened: Haas will field Hirakawa in opening practice in Mexico rather than handing the session to incoming 2027 driver Rafael Camara, per Chris Medland. At Cadillac, Colton Herta steps into Valtteri Bottas' seat for his fifth FP1 outing of the season to pursue the points needed for an FIA Super Licence.

Why it matters: Haas is keeping Hirakawa in its Friday rotation even after signing 21-year-old Formula 2 standings leader Camara to a multi-year deal replacing Esteban Ocon in 2027. Cadillac is giving Herta another run because a shortened Monza FP1 session prevented him from banking a Super Licence point.

What to watch: Herta aims to complete a full Mexico FP1 session to secure the Super Licence point missed at Monza, while Camara waits for a future Haas outing ahead of his 2027 race debut.