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The United States Grand Prix saw Ferrari and Red Bull regain their form.
Ferrari took a surprise one-two in the grand prix led by Charles Leclerc while Max Verstappen collected enough points from his sprint race victory and a third place on Sunday to extend his lead in the drivers’ championship.
Lando Norris has his work cut out over the next five races to reduce Verstappen’s 57 point lead. Can McLaren hold on to the constructors’ title before the season concludes in Abu Dhabi?
This weekend F1 returns to the traditional format at Sergio Perez’s home race in Mexico City with it all to play for on Sunday.
The weather is set to be dry and settled with highs of 22 degrees celsius and partly cloudy.
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Mexico Grand Prix preview | Listen to the latest episode of ESPN’s F1 podcast Unlapped.
Circuit stats and history
Racing in Mexico City’s Magdalena Mixhuca park dates back to 1959, with the first Formula 1 event at the circuit — a non-championship race — taking place in 1962. Local racing hero Ricardo Rodriguez died during practice for the inaugural F1 event, and from that point onwards the circuit was named after him and brother Pedro, another Mexican racing driver, who died nine years later while racing sports cars.
The Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez hosted F1 championship rounds from 1963-1970 and again from 1986-1992 before making its return to the calendar in 2015.
The original circuit was known for its fearsome Peraltada corner — a long sweeping right hander before the pit straight with minimal run-off area. When the circuit returned in 2015, the Peraltada had been removed and replaced by the iconic Foro Sol stadium section, which includes two tight corners in a former baseball stadium.
At an altitude of 7,300 feet (2,200 metres), the circuit is the highest on the F1 calendar and presents a unique challenge for teams and drivers. The thinner air means cars run with their highest wing levels but still generate less downforce than they do at Monza, where the lowest wing levels are fitted to reduce drag. The reduced oxygen levels in the air also require the power unit’s turbocharger to spin faster than at sea level, while also creating cooling concerns for tyres and brakes.
Laps: 71 laps of 4.3km. Total distance 305km
Lap record: 1:17.774 Valtteri Bottas (2021)
Most wins: Verstappen (2017-2018, 2021-2023) with five. Of the current grid Lewis Hamilton (2016, 2019) is the only other driver to have won here.
Most poles: Jim Clark (1963-1965, 1967) with four. It’s mixed in the modern era with Hamilton (2016), Daniel Ricciardo (2018) Leclerc (2019, 2023), Bottas (2021) and Verstappen (2022) securing pole from the current grid.
What happened last year?
Ferrari locked out the front row of the grid in qualifying but were powerless to stop Verstappen’s Red Bull getting a slipstream and passing them both on the run down to Turn 1. As Verstappen positioned his car to the inside of Leclerc, local hero Perez made a move to the outside, but in doing so made contact with the Ferrari and was launched into the run-off.
A suspension failure on Kevin Magnussen’s Haas midway through the race resulted in a big accident and a red flag, but Verstappen didn’t miss a beat at the restart and led Leclerc and Hamilton into Turn 1. Verstappen disappeared into the lead while Hamilton managed to pass Leclerc on lap 40 of 71 to take second place at the finish.
Who’s going to win?
Last weekend’s U.S. Grand Prix saw a surprise Ferrari victory, with Leclerc and Carlos Sainz looking untouchable once they were running in first and second.
But this year’s form guide suggests McLaren is the team to beat when the cars run with high downforce wings, making Norris the favourite once again.
How to watch the GP
Watch on ESPNEWS and ESPN+ (U.S. only) — view the schedule.
Live broadcast coverage in the U.K. is on Sky Sports F1 and BBC Radio 5 Live.
For news, analysis and updates, follow the coverage with ESPN’s F1 team Nate Saunders and Laurence Edmondson in Mexico City and on social media.
Friday
Free practice one: 19:30-20:30 BST
Free practice two: 23:30-00:30 BST
Saturday
Free practice three: 18:30-19:30 BST
Qualifying: 22:00-23:00 BST
Sunday
Race starts: 20:00 GMT.
How the championships look
The U.S. Grand Prix was a blow for McLaren with Verstappen claiming the sprint race win and finishing ahead of Norris on the podium. The points gap now stands at 57 with five races left.
McLaren remain leaders of the constructors’ championship 40 points ahead of Red Bull in second. But Ferrari’s success on Sunday means they’re closing in on Red Bull, only nine point off claiming second place.