Formula One Preview: Mexico City Grand Prix
Kimi Antonelli heads to Mexico knowing a points finish all but guarantees he leaves as World Champion.
Circuit Guide
The Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez returned to the Formula One calendar in 2015 following a 23-year hiatus and has been almost ever-present since, with the exception of the COVID-affected 2020 season.
The circuit’s name is dedicated to the Rodríguez brothers - Ricardo (1942-62) and Pedro (1940-1971) - who were both racing drivers killed behind the wheel.
The Mexican Grand Prix also ran at the circuit between 1963 and 1970, and again from 1986 to 1992.
Since 2021 the race has run under the name of the Mexico City Grand Prix.
The circuit’s main defining characteristic is its altitude, sitting 2285 metres above sea level. That is a whopping 1.4 kilometres higher than the sport’s next-highest venue, Interlagos. The consequence of this is a notable impact on cars’ aerodynamics, engine power output and cooling efficiency due to the thinner air, which this year may play particularly into Ferrari’s hands.
In each of its three chapters as a Formula One-hosting venue, the track layout has changed.
The once-fearsome Esses which composed the middle portion of the lap from the 1960s to 1990s have since been tamed following a Hermann Tilke-led renovation, while the magnificent, sweeping final corner of Peraltada was replaced in 2015 by today’s stadium section.
The Peraltada corner, a 180-degree banked right hander onto the main straight, played host in 1990 to one of F1’s greatest overtakes, when Nigel Mansell passed Gerhard Berger around the outside.
The track also has the longest run down to Turn 1 on the calendar, which often causes chaos on the opening lap. Overtaking thereafter is surprisingly more difficult, due to the altitude and thinner air.
Weather Forecast
The weather forecast for this weekend’s event looks pretty consistent, with sunshine and temperatures of between 23 and 24 degrees during the on-track action. The only slight exception is Friday, when there is a 20-30% chance of rain around lunchtime that may influence Practice.
Major Talking Points
Antonelli's title seems certain: If winning the championship at COTA was a long shot, it seems almost guaranteed that Kimi Antonelli will wrap things up in Mexico.
The Italian has to finish in the top nine regardless of what anybody else does, but if neither Russell nor Hamilton wins he needn’t score any points at all.
Italy stands on the verge of a first drivers’ title since Alberto Ascari in 1953, courtesy of somebody who wasn’t even born until 2006. Madness.
Young drivers handed opportunity: Mexico is always a popular event for teams to put one of their youngsters behind the wheel during FP1. This year is no different, with a couple of teams having already confirmed such arrangements.
At Aston Martin, Jak Crawford will step into Lance Stroll’s car for his fourth and final FP1 outing of the year. In a seminal moment at Audi, meanwhile, they are handing a debut to the first ever member of the Audi Development Driver Programme, Trident’s F3 driver Freddie Slater.
The 18-year-old Brit will also take the wheel in FP1 in São Paolo as he prepares to step up to F2 with Invicta Racing next year.
Hybrid V8s proposed for the 2030s: It is fair to say that the hybrid engines introduced as part of the new set of regulations this year have not gone down well with drivers or fans of F1.
Plans are already being developed for the sport’s next era which will likely begin in 2030 or 2031, and it is good news for enthusiasts of naturally aspirated engines.
The FIA is understood to have sent a document to all six power unit suppliers, including Cadillac, who plan to produce a power unit to the new regulations. It outlines proposals for V8 engines with a smaller turbo and less powerful hybrid system, which would be cheaper and less complex than the current V6 turbos.
The proposals come as F1 looks to reduce around 80kg from total car weight in the next regulation cycle, while also rolling back on the aggressive switch towards hybrid power which has been so maligned this season.
Red Bull rue missed opportunity at COTA: F1, like all sports, is a results business, so in one sense the US Grand Prix was a huge success for Red Bull, as the 21 points accrued by Max Verstappen and Isack Hadjar lifted the team above McLaren in the constructors’ standings.
However, both drivers were left rather bemused on Sunday evening, having expected more from their second and third-placed starts.
The Dutchman said there were “too many issues” with the team’s race execution, namely their tyre strategy, slow pit stops and power unit problems.
For his part, Hadjar said “everything went wrong”, pointing to a series of electrical issues that affected his clutch and throttle map.
There is plenty for the Milton Keynes outfit to digest in a very short space of time before Mexico.
Verstappen raises physical concerns: Verstappen has been a vocal critic about the lack of physical challenge provided by the new generation of cars, but it seems the force exerted on his body by COTA’s bumpy surfaces was a little too much.
Prior to the event in Austin, the Dutchman had warned of “unacceptable” and “out of control” bumps on the circuit, and explained the physical toll they have taken on him over the years.
The four-time champion explained he was suffering 9G impacts through his spine, saying: “I’ve had a few scans done and you can see it in certain discs at the bottom of the back that there’s nothing left there.
“Before Turn 1 and Turn 19 I lift myself out of the seat before I get there, otherwise it’s simply impossible.”
Lando Norris and George Russell agreed that COTA could do with some resurfacing before next year on the grounds of safety.
Past Mexican Grands Prix
Max Verstappen has historically been the most successful driver on Mexican soil. In 25 previous races in Mexico City, the Dutchman has taken the chequered flag on five occasions (2017, 2018, 2021, 2022 and 2023).
Jim Clark (3), Alain Prost, Nigel Mansell and Lewis Hamilton (all 2) have also won the Mexican Grand Prix on multiple occasions, while Lando Norris won last year’s Mexico City Grand Prix.
Memorable moments of the latest chapter of Formula One in Mexico include the 2017 race, when Hamilton won his fourth World Championship title despite sustaining a puncture on the opening lap.
The Briton seized his fifth crown in Mexico the following year, when Verstappen took the chequered flag despite being pipped to pole the previous day by Daniel Ricciardo.
Meanwhile, the race start in 2023 spelt heartbreak for the Mexican crowd as home hero Sergio Pérez failed to advance past the first corner.
Drivers to watch
Kimi Antonelli: Let’s give this another go, Kimi. Second match point.
To be fair, the young Italian did everything he had to do in Texas with his best performance of the year, while George Russell and Lewis Hamilton did the bare minimum to keep their title hopes alive.
If neither Russell nor Hamilton wins in Mexico, Antonelli need not have even turned up. If Russell does win, the Italian must only finish ninth. If Hamilton wins, tenth will do.
It does seem incredibly likely that this will be the weekend we crown our 35th World Champion.
Charles Leclerc: With a podium in COTa, Charles Leclerc will be looking to continue his rich vein of form.
Three consecutive fourth-placed finishes in Spain, Azerbaijan and Malaysia preceded a pair of second-placed results in Singapore and the US, as Ferrari brought their final upgrades of the season to Texas last time out.
The scarlet car has generally struggled for straight-line speed this year, but has excelled in high-downforce and slow-speed corners. That should bode very well for the Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez, where the high altitude and thin air reward mechanical grip more than engine power.
Ollie Bearman: Ollie Bearman has only previously raced in Mexico City once, and it resulted in a fourth-placed finish in last year’s Grand Prix.
The Haas man has had a tough run this season, with only two points finishes in all races including sprints since the Canadian Grand Prix in June.
On 2026 form, you would imagine another high-scoring race in Mexico is unlikely, but it was the scene of his standout performance during his rookie season so who knows?
Weekend Format
Mexico has never previously hosted a sprint race, a run that will continue until at least 2028 following the announcement of next season’s calendar. The usual three practice sessions precede Qualifying and the race.
Session Times (BST)
Free Practice 1 Fri 18:30 - 19:30
Free Practice 2 Fri 22:00 - 23:00
Free Practice 3 Sat 17:30 - 18:30
Qualifying Sat 21:00 - 22:00
Race Sun 20:00
Edited by Marit Everett
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