Mexican GP: what time does the race start? And can Sergio Perez finally win it?

F1’s title races have long been settled (were they ever really on?) but that’s no reason to not tune in for the last four races of 2023: the battle over the lesser placings is getting ever more intense, and the consequences for next season are big.

Don’t believe us? The difference between finishing positions in the constructors’ championship are worth millions of dollars to the teams, and beating a rival this year could be the thing that unlocks a crucial upgrade to challenge for wins and podiums in the next. Make no mistake: it matters.

And so F1 arrives in Mexico with much still to play for. Mercedes and Ferrari are separated by just 22 points in the battle for second place, with both teams reeling having had Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc disqualified from last week’s US GP. Excessive plank skid plate wear was to blame. Oops.

Then you’ve got McLaren and Aston Martin squabbling over fourth and fifth: the former overhauled the latter last weekend after months of playing catchup, has Aston got anything to hit back with?

Then there’s Williams, Alfa Romeo, Haas and AlphaTauri all split by a mere 16 points: one big result for any of them could have a transformative effect on their seasons… and war chests for 2024.

Psyched to see it all play out? Us too. Continue to scrolleth for the full lowdown on the Mexican GP…

What time is the Mexican GP? And what time is qualifying?

We’re back to the standard format in Mexico after two successive ‘sprint’ weekends, and so the grand prix starts at 8pm UK time on Sunday 29 October. And yes, we’ve factored in the clocks going back the night before, so no need to get the abacus out. The grid will be set by qualifying on Saturday 28 October, which starts at 10pm.
Into the practice sessions? There’s two on Friday 27 October (one at 7.30pm and another at 11pm) with a third shakedown on Saturday at 6.30pm. Screenshot this paragraph if you need the reminder on stand-by.

What’s the weather going to be like?

Like a comfy bed, it’s going to be warm and dry. Nothing like the temperatures we saw in Qatar (even COTA got pretty hot), but highs of 26 degrees Celsius on race day will be very lovely indeed. There’ll be some cloud cover, but no rain is predicted for now.

Where is the Mexican GP taking place?

The Mexican GP is being held at Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez, which is located right in the heart of Mexico City. And no, it’s not a street circuit. The Mexican GP rejoined the F1 calendar in 2015 after an absence of more than 20 years, and it’s been a permanent fixture ever since with the exception of 2020. Because Covid, obviously.

How many laps is the Mexican GP?

71 laps of the track are needed to complete the 300km+ required from a grand prix running to a full race distance. The circuit features 17 corners, including a slow, technical section in the final sector that passes through an old baseball stadium. When packed with tens of thousands of fans, it’s pretty incredible.

The thing to remember about the Mexican GP is that it takes place at altitude, more than 2km above sea level. So even though it boasts one of the longest straights on the calendar, teams often run their highest-downforce set-ups here because the air pressure is much lower. That also affects engine output, and sometimes the usual pecking order gets shaken up as a result.

Who’s going to win the Mexican GP?

As Mexico is such an outlier of a track, it can be hard to predict which teams will have the upper hand. But given Red Bull and Max Verstappen’s dominance of 2023, we’re going to have to give the nod to them once again.

Of course, the fans will be hoping that home favourite Sergio Perez will be able to overcome his recent patchy form to beat his teammate to the top step of the podium. We’d love to see it happen, if only so the Mexican can one day look back on his career and say he won his home race.

Behind Red Bull, Mercedes, McLaren and Ferrari are the ones to watch out for.

How can I watch the Mexican GP?

In the UK, you can either subscribe to Sky Sports, or take up a NowTV subscription in order to stream Sky’s coverage via the interwebs. Failing that, Channel 4 will broadcast highlights of qualifying and the race at 8.30am on Sunday and 8.25am on Monday respectively. Yes, Monday. The time zones are just too awkward for us Europeans watching on catch-up. Deal with it.

Failing that, BBC Radio 5 Live and Radio 5 Sports Extra will have live commentary of every session over the weekend…

What’s the TopGear view on the Mexican GP?

Wheel-to-wheel action is sometimes in short supply in Mexico, but the track often throws up curveballs and the passion of the fans makes it a must for the F1 calendar. And the fact that the local hero is driving the fastest car on the grid by a country mile surely makes this Mexico’s best ever chance to witness a native victory? For their sake, we’re hoping the dream comes true.