Formula 1 returns to Mexico City this weekend for the Mexican Grand Prix - with Kimi Antonelli set to seal the world championship.
The 20-year-old Italian holds a 123-point lead over Mercedes teammate George Russell and a 124-point advantage over Lewis Hamilton after his victory in Austin last time out. If Antonelli finishes ninth or higher in Mexico, he will be crowned world champion and, even if he doesn’t, Russell or Hamilton need to win the grand prix to extend the title race to Brazil.
Antonelli cruised to victory from pole in Texas, with Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc in second and Red Bull’s Max Verstappen in third. Hamilton missed out on a podium, while an early penalty resulted in Russell finishing a lowly eighth.
Lando Norris won last year’s race at the Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez, on his way to his maiden world title. After missing out last year, Sergio Perez returns to his home race off the back of signing a new contract with Cadillac this week.
Follow live coverage of the Mexican Grand Prix with The Independent.
Read MoreF1 Mexican Grand Prix schedule: Race start time and TV coverage in Mexico City
How Kimi Antonelli can win 2026 F1 title in Mexico City without even finishing race
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F1 MEXICAN GRAND PRIX - LATEST UPDATES
- The race on Sunday starts at 8pm GMT
- Lewis Hamilton starts on pole for Ferrari; Russell 2nd; Verstappen 3rd
- Kimi Antonelli is on the cusp of his first world championship
- If Antonelli finishes ninth or higher on Sunday, he will be the champion
Lewis Hamilton on Antonelli's imminent title:
19:32 , Kieran Jackson"That's not really something we're thinking of," he said after his pole position. "We're thinking of just trying to score the best result for the team.
"Kimi, he's continued to drive really well and doing what he needs to do. All he has to do is just finish where he is, and he's kind of on his own journey.
"Our journey is to focus on performing the best we can this weekend and holding on to second in the constructors' championship."
F1 - Mexico Driver Parade
19:23 , Kieran JacksonA typically raucous atmosphere as the drivers are paraded around the Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez!
Top-10 - Driver standings ahead of Mexican GP
19:17 , Kieran Jackson1. Kimi Antonelli (Mercedes) - 365 points
2. George Russell (Mercedes) - 242 points
3. Lewis Hamilton (Ferrari) - 241 points
4. Max Verstappen (Red Bull) - 236 points
5. Charles Leclerc (Ferrari) - 233 points
6. Lando Norris (McLaren) - 211 points
7. Oscar Piastri (McLaren) - 144 points
8. Isack Hadjar (Racing Bulls) - 105 points
9. Liam Lawson (Racing Bulls) - 77 points
10. Pierre Gasly (Alpine) - 42 points
How Kimi Antonelli can win 2026 F1 title in Mexico City without even finishing race
19:10 , Kieran JacksonAntonelli has a 123-point lead over second-placed Russell and a 124-point lead over Hamilton, with 125 points left on the table this season. After this round in Mexico City, there will be 100 points left to play for.
As such, to win the title in Mexico City, Antonelli only needs to finish ninth or higher in Sunday’s race.
Ninth would give him two points and while Russell could win the race and be 100 points behind, the Briton cannot catch the Italian’s race wins tally for the season, which is the tiebreaker if scores are level.
However, even if Antonelli retires or finishes outside the top-10, he could still pick up the title. At a minimum, Russell or Hamilton need to win the grand prix to stretch the title race to Brazil next week.
Lewis Hamilton after claiming pole:
18:45 , Kieran Jackson“Wow! That felt great, feels good! So happy. I'm lost for words. It's been a challenging weekend, had an engine issue yesterday, we were on the back foot but we did a good job with the set-up but it was so close between us all. To have pole here, don't know if I've had one here before! I think my first pole with Ferrari.”
On how he did it at the age of 41: “When there's a will, there's a way. It's all in the mind for all of us. I ice bath a lot- all those things you can do to keep yourself young and fit but I love what I do, I dream about it.
“These guys keep me going... the support around the world. Hope I can do it for them tomorrow.”
Constructor standings ahead of Mexican GP
18:30 , Kieran Jackson1. Mercedes - 607 points
2. Ferrari - 474 points
3. Red Bull - 355 points
4. McLaren - 355 points
5. Racing Bulls - 102 points
6. Alpine - 69 points
7. Haas - 30 points
8. Audi - 23 points
9. Williams - 12 points
10. Aston Martin - 7 points
11. Cadillac - 0 points
George Russell after qualifying second:
18:15 , Kieran JacksonHappy? “I am, it's been a tricky few races for me, still struggling to get on top of that car until Q3, almost got pole, congrats to Lewis.
“I know it's in there but the hit rate is too low at the moment but that's the frustration I have. I did a very hard out lap, gave me a bit more confidence.”
Esteban Ocon’s F1 career could be over after shock early axe by Haas in Mexico
18:00 , Kieran JacksonEsteban Ocon could have raced in Formula 1 for the last time after being axed by Haas for reserve driver Ryo Hirakawa at the Mexico City Grand Prix.
Ocon’s contract with Haas expires at the end of the year and he will be replaced by Brazilian driver and current F2 championship leader Rafael Camara for the 2027 season.
However, Ocon, who won the 2021 Hungarian GP with Alpine, was expected to complete the rest of the 2026 campaign alongside Ollie Bearman.
Yet after appearing in second practice on Friday and getting embroiled in a row over tyres with race engineer Laura Muller, Haas released a statement on Saturday confirming that 31-year-old Japanese driver Hirakawa will take Ocon’s place for the rest of the weekend.
More detail below:
Esteban Ocon’s F1 career could be over after shock early axe by Haas in Mexico
Laurent Mekies dismisses Christian Horner’s Red Bull claims over team spirit
17:32 , Kieran JacksonLaurent Mekies dismissed Christian Horner’s claim that Red Bull have “lost their mojo” since his departure.
“Christian is entitled to his opinion. He obviously spent a lot of time in this team,” Mekies said during this weekend’s race in Mexico City. I respect his point of view. We certainly feel extremely differently about the vibe in the team.
“I think one of the strong points we’ve been drawing on, certainly in the last few months, is the incredible team spirit that has allowed us to come back from an objectively very difficult moment.
“We certainly had a challenging first part of the year, chassis side and power unit side, and the way the team stuck together, the way the team set the Milton Keynes department on fire to try to come back, and the way they have done that… I think that’s the Red Bull spirit.”
What is the starting grid?
17:20 , Kieran Jackson1. Lewis Hamilton (Ferrari)
2. George Russell (Mercedes)
3. Charles Leclerc (Ferrari)
4. Kimi Antonelli (Mercedes)
5. Max Verstappen (Red Bull)*
6. Lando Norris (McLaren)
7. Isack Hadjar (Red Bull)
8. Arvid Lindblad (Racing Bulls)
9. Pierre Gasly (Alpine)
10. Nico Hulkenberg
11. Franco Colapinto
12. Oscar Piastri
13. Gabriel Bortoleto
14. Ollie Bearman
15. Carlos Sainz
16. Alex Albon
17. Fernando Alonso
18. Ryo Hirakawa
19. Lance Stroll
20. Sergio Perez
21. Valtteri Bottas
22. Liam Lawson**
*Verstappen and Lawson have a one-place grid drop after a clash in practice
**Lawson was disqualified from qualifying
F1 Mexican Grand Prix
17:10 , Kieran JacksonFormula 1 returns to Mexico City this weekend for the Mexican Grand Prix - with Kimi Antonelli set to seal the world championship.
The 20-year-old Italian holds a 123-point lead over Mercedes teammate George Russell and a 124-point advantage over Lewis Hamilton after his victory in Austin last time out. If Antonelli finishes ninth or higher in Mexico, he will be crowned world champion and, even if he doesn’t, Russell or Hamilton need to win the grand prix to extend the title race to Brazil.
Antonelli cruised to victory from pole in Texas, with Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc in second and Red Bull’s Max Verstappen in third. Hamilton missed out on a podium, while an early penalty resulted in Russell finishing a lowly eighth.
Lando Norris won last year’s race at the Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez, on his way to his maiden world title. After missing out last year, Sergio Perez returns to his home race off the back of signing a new contract with Cadillac this week.
What is the starting grid?
Saturday 31 October 2026 23:59 , Kieran Jackson1. Lewis Hamilton (Ferrari)
2. George Russell (Mercedes)
3. Charles Leclerc (Ferrari)
4. Kimi Antonelli (Mercedes)
5. Max Verstappen (Red Bull)*
6. Lando Norris (McLaren)
7. Isack Hadjar (Red Bull)
8. Arvid Lindblad (Racing Bulls)
9. Liam Lawson (Racing Bulls)*
10. Pierre Gasly (Alpine)
11. Nico Hulkenberg
12. Franco Colapinto
13. Oscar Piastri
14. Gabriel Bortoleto
15. Ollie Bearman
16. Carlos Sainz
17. Alex Albon
18. Fernando Alonso
19. Ryo Hirakawa
20. Lance Stroll
21. Sergio Perez
22. Valtteri Bottas
*Verstappen and Lawson have a one-place grid drop after a clash in practice
Top-10 in qualifying
Saturday 31 October 2026 22:22 , Kieran Jackson1. Lewis Hamilton (Ferrari)
2. George Russell (Mercedes)
3. Charles Leclerc (Ferrari)
4. Kimi Antonelli (Mercedes)
5. Max Verstappen (Red Bull)*
6. Lando Norris (McLaren)
7. Isack Hadjar (Red Bull)
8. Liam Lawson (Racing Bulls)
9. Arvid Lindblad (Racing Bulls)
10. Pierre Gasly (Alpine)
*Verstappen has a one-place grid drop after a clash with Liam Lawson in practice
Hamilton on pole:
Saturday 31 October 2026 22:15 , Kieran Jackson“Thank you so much, that’s been such a long time coming! Mega job guys, so greatful for the hard work you’ve put in!”
That’s his first pole since Hungary in July 2023!
Lewis Hamilton on pole position in Mexico
Saturday 31 October 2026 22:09 , Kieran JacksonIt was Russell but then it was Lewis Hamilton - who gets his first Ferrari pole by 0.009 seconds!
Leclerc has to settle for third, with Verstappen and Antonelli fourth and fifth respectively.
6-10: Norris, Hadjar, Lawson, Lindblad, Gasly
Charles Leclerc on provisional pole
Saturday 31 October 2026 22:03 , Kieran JacksonReally strong from Leclerc.
He’s top of the standings after the first laps, ahead of 0.045 secs to Max Verstappen.
3-10: Norris, Hamilton, Russell, Gasly, Antonelli, Lawson, Lindblad, Hadjar
Antonelli with work to do!
Q3 underway
Saturday 31 October 2026 21:56 , Kieran JacksonHere we go then - who’s going to be on pole in Mexico City?
10 drivers involved: Antonelli, Russell, Leclerc, Hamilton, Norris, Verstappen, Hadjar, Lindblad, Lawson, Gasly
Out in Q2
Saturday 31 October 2026 21:51 , Kieran Jackson11. Nico Hulkenberg
12. Franco Colapinto
13. Oscar Piastri
14. Gabriel Bortoleto
15. Ollie Bearman
16. Carlos Sainz
Oscar Piastri OUT
Saturday 31 October 2026 21:49 , Kieran JacksonHamilton makes it - but Piastri doesn’t! Nightmare for the McLaren driver! Only P13!
“Mate, I don’t know what happened - I had no grip.”
Out in Q2 (11-16): Hulkenberg, Colapinto, Piastri, Bortoleto, Bearman, Sainz
Lewis Hamilton down low
Saturday 31 October 2026 21:43 , Kieran JacksonLewis Hamilton made an error on his lap and he’s now back in the garage - but down in P15.
Current bottom-six (11-16): Bortoleto, Bearman, Colapinto, Norris, Hamilton, Sainz
Oscar Piastri also on the limit in 10th... 5:00 to go in Q2.
Q2 underway
Saturday 31 October 2026 21:34 , Kieran JacksonTime for Q2: 15 minutes where, again, we’ll lose the slowest six drivers from the rest of qualifying.
Who will make the top-10 shootout?
Out in Q1
Saturday 31 October 2026 21:27 , Kieran Jackson17. Alex Albon
18. Fernando Alonso
19. Ryo Hirakawa
20. Lance Stroll
21. Sergio Perez
22. Valtteri Bottas
Albon out
Saturday 31 October 2026 21:26 , Kieran JacksonAlex Albon in P17 loses out to his Williams teammate Carlos Sainz!
Out in Q1 (17-22): Albon, Alonso, Hirakawa, Stroll, Perez, Bottas
Hadjar, incidentally, ended up to P2 in the end! Lewis Hamilton was fastest....
Hadjar in trouble
Saturday 31 October 2026 21:22 , Kieran JacksonThe Red Bull really struggling in the final sector - he’s P14 at the moment.
Current bottom-six (17-22): Albon, Alonso, Hirakawa, Stroll, Perez, Bottas
4:00 to go in Q1 - could change yet...
Alonso angry
Saturday 31 October 2026 21:12 , Kieran JacksonAlonso slams the wheel in frustration when told to box - he doesn’t think there’s any issue!
Anyhow, his car has been cleared: Q1 will resume in 2 minutes.
RED FLAG
Saturday 31 October 2026 21:07 , Kieran JacksonWe have 11:07 left because Alonso has stopped the car on the circuit, right by the baseball section.
Oh dear. The issues for Aston are never-ending...
A shake of the head from Adrian Newey on the pit-wall.
Fernando Alonso out in Q1
Saturday 31 October 2026 21:07 , Kieran JacksonOh dear.
Alonso has stopped his Aston Martin car just by turn 13 after being told to stop.
Q1 underway!
Saturday 31 October 2026 21:01 , Kieran JacksonHere we go with the first phase of qualifying - 18 minutes where we’ll lose the slowest six cars from the rest of the session.
Verstappen and Lawson
Saturday 31 October 2026 20:55 , Kieran JacksonA reminder that Verstappen and Lawson both have a one-place grid penalty for tomorrow after their unnecessary clash in practice yesterday.
We’ll see where they end up...
Cadillac’s Valtteri Bottas, meanwhile, has a 50-place drop. So.... that’ll be the back of the grid, obviously.
Ten minutes until qualifying
Saturday 31 October 2026 20:50 , Kieran JacksonAs shown by those times in final practice, it feels relatively open!
Kimi Antonelli has to be the favourite but Ferrari were quick, as were McLaren with a late surge.
And you definitely can’t write off Max Verstappen!
What was the top-10 in FP3?
Saturday 31 October 2026 20:45 , Kieran Jackson1. Lando Norris (McLaren) - 1:17.600
2. Kimi Antonelli (Mercedes) +0.001
3. Charles Leclerc (Ferrari) +0.117
4. Oscar Piastri (McLaren) +0.195
5. Max Verstappen (Red Bull) +0.351
6. Lewis Hamilton (Ferrari) +0.469
7. George Russell (Mercedes) +0.507
8. Isack Hadjar (Red Bull) +0.509
9. Liam Lawson (Racing Bulls) +0.513
10. Arvid Lindblad (Racing Bulls) +0.537
Constructor standings ahead of Mexican GP
Saturday 31 October 2026 20:15 , Kieran Jackson1. Mercedes - 607 points
2. Ferrari - 474 points
3. Red Bull - 355 points
4. McLaren - 355 points
5. Racing Bulls - 102 points
6. Alpine - 69 points
7. Haas - 30 points
8. Audi - 23 points
9. Williams - 12 points
10. Aston Martin - 7 points
11. Cadillac - 0 points
Verstappen and Lawson's clash in FP2 on Friday
Saturday 31 October 2026 20:00 , Kieran JacksonMax and Liam coming too close for comfort 👀 pic.twitter.com/nWrTq1OOEJ
— Sky Sports F1 (@SkySportsF1) October 30, 2026
PIECE: Why Kimi Antonelli will be F1’s most surprising champion in 17 years
Saturday 31 October 2026 19:45 , Kieran JacksonRewinding the clock can prove to be a humbling experience. The ambiguity and anticipation of pre-season guessing games – the inevitable pattern of predictions leading up to day one – can either prove to be a massive feather in the cap come the end of the season (cc. 2025 title prediction) or an article/video to write off.
Yet as this year’s Formula 1 season draws to a close, it is most certainly the latter.
All seven of Sky Sports’ experts? Wrong. BBC pundits? Wrong. Yours truly? Wrong. And not just wrong: barely a soul mentioned Kimi Antonelli above George Russell in the 2026 F1 championship stakes. Some bookies, in and around February testing, had the Italian as low as seventh-favourite.
Full piece below:
Top-10 - Driver standings ahead of Mexican GP
Saturday 31 October 2026 19:30 , Kieran Jackson1. Kimi Antonelli (Mercedes) - 365 points
2. George Russell (Mercedes) - 242 points
3. Lewis Hamilton (Ferrari) - 241 points
4. Max Verstappen (Red Bull) - 236 points
5. Charles Leclerc (Ferrari) - 233 points
6. Lando Norris (McLaren) - 211 points
7. Oscar Piastri (McLaren) - 144 points
8. Isack Hadjar (Racing Bulls) - 105 points
9. Liam Lawson (Racing Bulls) - 77 points
10. Pierre Gasly (Alpine) - 42 points
Top-10 in FP3
Saturday 31 October 2026 18:45 , Kieran Jackson1. Lando Norris
2. Kimi Antonelli
3. Charles Leclerc
4. Oscar Piastri
5. Max Verstappen
6. Lewis Hamilton
7. George Russell
8. Isack Hadjar
9. Liam Lawson
10. Arvid Lindblad
Lando Norris quickest in FP3
Saturday 31 October 2026 18:36 , Kieran JacksonRight at the end, Norris nips Antonelli at the top - by 0.001 seconds!
3-10: Leclerc, Piastri, Verstappen, Hamilton, Russell, Hadjar, Lawson, Lindblad
Onto qualifying we go! Four different teams in the top-five bodes well!
Verstappen angry
Saturday 31 October 2026 18:27 , Kieran Jackson“These brakes are so terrible.”
Verstappen P5 at the moment, as Antonelli goes top of the tree by 0.151 secs!
Final laps coming in now...
Leclerc goes top
Saturday 31 October 2026 18:14 , Kieran JacksonWe’ve been here before in practice, but Ferrari do look quick.
Leclerc has now gone top, 0.010 secs faster than Hamilton.
Antonelli remains in third, as teammate Russell asks for more grip and asks his team to give him the same plan as the Italian.
15 mins to go in FP3!
Lewis Hamilton quickest
Saturday 31 October 2026 18:03 , Kieran JacksonHalfway through the session now and Hamilton has gone fastest by 0.020 secs, leading a Ferrari one-two with Charles Leclerc.
3-10: Antonelli, Piastri, Russell, Verstappen, Noris, Hadjar, Lawson, Gasly
Red Bull's Isack Hadjar:
Saturday 31 October 2026 18:01 , Kieran Jackson”Oh my god, it’s the worst car all weekend, terrible.”
He’s currently P8...
Antonelli quickest early on
Saturday 31 October 2026 17:51 , Kieran JacksonOn-track, there are still some drivers who have not set a time as they come out in drips and drabs.
After 20 minutes, Antonelli is fastest, two-tenths quicker than George Russell, while Lewis Hamilton is third.
4-10: Piastri, Gasly, Lindblad, Lawson, Hulkenberg, Alonso, Stroll
Haas team principal Ayao Komatsu speaking to Sky Sports:
Saturday 31 October 2026 17:46 , Kieran JacksonOn Ocon being dropped: “I can’t tell you much, he’s not ill.
“I can’t go into details.”
Not much to garner from that then...
Ryo Hirakawa in for Esteban Ocon
Saturday 31 October 2026 17:36 , Kieran JacksonThe big news of the day is that Esteban Ocon won’t take part in the rest of the grand prix weekend for Haas.
Instead, his place has been taken by 31-year-old Japanese reserve Ryo Hirakawa. Haas haven’t divulged any more details, but acknowledged that Ocon’s removal wasn’t down to illness.
Ocon is obviously leaving Haas at the end of the season anyway. Have we seen the last of the Frenchman in Formula 1?
FP3 underway in Mexico
Saturday 31 October 2026 17:33 , Kieran JacksonThe third and final hour of practice is underway under bright blue skies in Mexico City.
Immediately, there is an issue with Gabriel Bortoleto’s Audi engine...
Start times this weekend in Mexico City:
Saturday 31 October 2026 17:27 , Kieran JacksonTimes GMT
Saturday 31 October
- Free practice 3: 5:30pm
- Qualifying: 9pm
Sunday 1 November
- Race: 8pm
Qualifying in Mexico City
Saturday 31 October 2026 17:26 , Kieran JacksonFormula 1 returns to Mexico City this weekend for the Mexican Grand Prix - with Kimi Antonelli set to seal the world championship.
The 20-year-old Italian holds a 123-point lead over Mercedes teammate George Russell and a 124-point advantage over Lewis Hamilton after his victory in Austin last time out. If Antonelli finishes ninth or higher in Mexico, he will be crowned world champion and, even if he doesn’t, Russell or Hamilton need to win the grand prix to extend the title race to Brazil.
Antonelli cruised to victory from pole in Texas, with Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc in second and Red Bull’s Max Verstappen in third. Hamilton missed out on a podium, while an early penalty resulted in Russell finishing a lowly eighth.
Lando Norris won last year’s race at the Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez, on his way to his maiden world title. After missing out last year, Sergio Perez returns to his home race off the back of signing a new contract with Cadillac this week.
