Jenson Button has been talking to BBC Radio 5 live and talking about how playing computer game Super Mario Kart as a child inspired him to get in a car and become a Formula 1 driver.

You can listen to the interview by clicking on the link below.

We have a new leader, ladies and gentlemen. And it is the man who desperately needs to win this race.

Sebastian Vettel's time of 1:18.824 on the super-soft tyres pushes Valtteri Bottas down to second.

Max Verstappen, who weaved his way through the field last week from 16th to third, before being sent back down to fourth because of a five-second penalty, is third, one place in front of Lewis Hamilton.

Kathy Hopper: Has to be James Hunt. The first driver I was really aware of. Also because he always seemed to be having a great time!

Hillary Mangena: It's a no brainer, Max Verstappen! Why? Because he knows the objective is to entertain.

Kevin Regan: Michael Schumacher. Not only because of what he achieved in the car, but the way he was able to hustle it - always on the limit.

Image source, Getty Images

Brendon Hartley has to take a time out as his engine lets him down. He moves off the track talks to his team for a bit, and then, luckily for him and much to Toro Rosso's relief, he can get back into the action.

Remember, Hartley has kept his place at Toro Rosso, despite Daniil Kvyat getting a 10th-placed finish last week in America. And the Formula 1 future for the Russian is now looking bleak.

Image source, Rex Features

It has not been the best of times for Pierre Gasly. He missed the race last week in America because he travelled to Japan for the Super Formula race there.

Then, after making all his way to the Far East, the race was cancelled because of the rain.

Andrew Benson
BBC Sport’s chief F1 writer

Looming engine penalty for Gasly - he's been fitted with his fifth control electronics. Suspect more parts may well be confirmed later

Andrew Benson
BBC Sport’s chief F1 writer

Following the implosion of Ferrari’s title challenge this autumn, through nobody’s fault but their own, there has been mounting speculation that team boss Maurizio Arrivabene might not make it into next season. Ferrari president Sergio Marchionne said in Austin last weekend that it would be “idiotic” to blame one man.

And on Thursday it was Sebastian Vettel’s turn to back Arrivabene, saying he “absolutely” should remain in his position. “What are his strengths? Look at the results. Look at where Ferrari was after 2014, what miserable shape it was in. The spirit was down. He is the key person responsible for bringing most of that back, and to make the team grow, to open things up, to change things that have been set like that for 20 years before that, just because they used to be like that.

So I think he has a very innovative and creative way of thinking. So I think he’s the right man. He’s a very strong leader, I think he’s well respected – I know he’s well respected by all the people. So absolutely I’m a fan.

“Obviously this year we would like it to be a bit different, especially towards the end but these things happen, we’re still growing and we set ourselves the target at the very beginning to grow and to do something new, something different and we’re still on that journey.

"The expectations are always high. You finish second in the championship, the year after you want to win, you don’t manage to do that but I think where we’ve gone, ’15 to ’16, especially through ’16 and then for ’17, things are going and heading the right way and he’s a key person in that.”

Image source, Rex Features

Sebastian Vettel jumps up to second quickest, moving Hamilton down to third. Still an hour to go though.

After 25 minutes of 90, and this is how we stand so far.

Image source, .

One lap ruined when he went over the grass, Lewis Hamilton doesn't let that bother him as he then goes fastest.

He was the fastest man over all three practice sessions, all three parts of qualifying and then won the race itself in Austin last week.

But Hamilton's spell at the top today only lasts seconds as Bottas' 1:19.614 then beats Hamilton's mark.

Mercedes fastest and second fastest and no signs of any problems for them yet.

And Sergio Perez gets the fans cheering already as he moves up to second, 0.331 behind Valtteri Bottas of Mercedes, who is fastest so far.

Lewis Hamilton takes to the track but gets a lap wrong as he goes over the grass.

Sergio Perez, Ocon's Force India team-mate is going to get a fantastic reception all weekend as he is the only Mexican driver in the race, although home fans will also be cheering on home driver Alfonso Celis Jr in this practice session.

Andrew Benson
BBC Sport’s chief F1 writer

Esteban Ocon has revealed that he has received death threats on social media this year, following his falling out with Force India team-mate Sergio Perez and their series of crashes during the summer. He said he arrived in Mexico this week “expecting a bit of a tough welcome this week looking at all the Twitter messages I received, which was crazy - and all the death messages as well.

"But actually I had a very warm welcome from the beginning. Let's see if it continues. I hope it will.” Perez said he didn’t think his compatriots would “be bad to Esteban”. Perez said that while the relationship had hit a “very low” point following their final collision in Belgium, “since that point everything has changed.

"You know, the atmosphere, not only between us, also the engineers and everyone, is really good. Obviously, you want to beat each other but it’s important to have that respect. I think that respect is in place now. It’s something that makes me happy and the atmosphere is good.”

Image source, Getty Images

No Esteban Ocon for the first session, but we will see him later on today in the second session, which starts at 20:00 BST.

Giovinazzi then goes a bit faster with a time of 1:23.418. He is enjoying his moment in the spotlight as no-one else is on the track.

Antonio Giovinazzi is the only man on the track at the moment hoping to take the chance to impress in for Romain Grosjean of Haas.

Giovinazzi's first time is of 1:25.488, but he then shaves that down to 1:24.350 shortly after and he is the only one to have completed a timed lap after 15 minutes of the session.

BBC Radio 5 live sports extra

Red Bull team boss Christian Horner speaking to Radio 5 live sports extra:

"What I admire about Brendon Hartley is that when things didn't go his way, he knuckled down and went away to race anything he could get his hands on and didn't give up.

"He really deserves this chance and I hope it goes well for him.

"He did a great job last week and I'm sure he'll build on it this weekend."

Andrew Benson
BBC Sport’s chief F1 writer

Brendon Hartley had a low-key debut for Toro Rosso in Austin last week, but actually there were signs, if you drilled down into the race data for the few laps that he was not held up by another car in the race, that he was very competitive.

Toro Rosso have not yet officially confirmed that the New Zealander was in for the rest of the season - although Red Bull motorsport director Helmut Marko was quoted saying that in Auto Bild this week. But it looks as if not only will he and team-mate Pierre Gasly stay on for 2017 - but it’s highly likely they will be kept for 2018 as well.

After all, Red Bull have abandoned hope in Daniil Kvyat at least as far as F1 is concerned, and there aren’t any other options. Hartley said that now he had more races “it’s clear that the pressure gets higher. Expectation was quite low with me coming in. I think everyone from the team understood that it was a very tall ask for me in Austin.

“I‘m going to do my best to stay as relaxed as I was in Austin. To be honest, as a driver, a lot of the pressure comes from within so I think it’s more about me managing that and just focus on what’s important. I‘m really looking forward to it.”

Image source, Getty Images

Amit Mandalia: Ayrton Senna. First F1 drivers name I remember Murray Walker saying in commentary at the end of the 80s #bbcf1, external

Kayleigh: My all time fave driver is PDR (Paul di Resta). Because of course it is.

Troy Elliott: Of all time it’s Jim Clark. Of my era it’s Ayrton Senna. Clark’s ability was out of this world and it was effortless.

Image source, Getty Images

Practice session one features four changes.

Antonio Giovinazzi is in for Romain Grosjean (Haas)

Charles Leclerc is in for Marcus Ericsson (Sauber)

Sean Gelael is in for Pierre Gasly (Toro Rosso)

Alfonso Celis Jr in for Esteban Ocon (Force India)