F1 Mexico Grand Prix LIVE: Carlos Sainz starts on pole as Lando Norris challenges championship leader Max Verstappen
F1 live updates from the Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez as the world title battle continues with Max Verstappen on front row and Carlos Sainz on pole
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The F1 weekend reaches its climax in Mexico City tonight with Lando Norris set to continue his rivalry with Max Verstappen following the highly contentious battle in Austin.
Verstappen has won five of the last six races at Autodromo Hermanos Rodríguez and will be aiming to edge one step closer to a fourth world championship title.
Charles Leclerc produced a sensational drive to claim victory at the US Grand Prix with Ferrari impressing with a one-two thanks to Carlos Sainz. The Scuderia are contending a fierce battle with McLaren and Red Bull for the constructors’ championship, with qualifying set to be vital here. Lewis Hamilton and Mercedes will bid to banish a nightmare weekend last time out in Texas.
Follow live updates from the Mexican Grand Prix with The Independent:
When is the Mexico City Grand Prix?
Sunday 27 October
- Race: 8pm (GMT) - Coverage starts on Sky Sports at 6.30pm
Starting positions for Mexico Grand Prix
What is the starting grid?
- Carlos Sainz, Ferrari
- Max Verstappen, Red Bull
- Lando Norris, McLaren
- Charles Leclerc, Ferrari
- George Russell, Mercedes
- Lewis Hamilton, Mercedes
- Kevin Magnussen, Haas
- Pierre Gasly, Alpine
- Alex Albon, Williams
- Nico Hülkenberg, Haas
- Yuki Tsunoda, RB
- Liam Lawson, RB
- Fernando Alonso, Aston Martin
- Lance Stroll, Aston Martin
- Valtteri Bottas, Sauber
- Franco Colapinto, Williams
- Oscar Piastri, McLaren
- Sergio Perez, Red Bull
- Esteban Ocon, Alpine
- Zhou Guanyu, Sauber
F1 2025 grid: Who are the drivers racing next season?
The 2025 F1 season starts on Sunday 16 March at Albert Park in Australia.
It will be another 24-race season and there will be no new races in the calendar. However, there are a host of new drivers at fresh teams.
The biggest change is of course Lewis Hamilton’s mega-move to Ferrari, with Italian teen Kimi Antonelli replacing Hamilton at Mercedes. Carlos Sainz has joined Alex Albon at Williams.
British teenager Ollie Bearman has been promoted to a race seat at Haas, with Esteban Ocon partnering him having left Alpine. Jack Doohan has taken Ocon’s place while at Sauber, Nico Hulkenberg has taken one seat with the second yet to be confirmed.
Who are the drivers on the 2025 F1 grid?
The grid will be much changed from the 2024 season with a host of new drivers joining the fray
F1 Driver Standings
A reminder of how the top of the driver standings looks as we approach the start of the Mexico GP.
1 - Max Verstappen - 354pts
2 - Lando Norris - 297pts
3 - Charles Leclerc - 275pts
4 - Oscar Piastri - 247pts
5 - Carlos Sainz - 215pts
‘I’m losing all the time’ says Hamilton
“I’m losing all the time, that’s why I’ve been so bad in qualifying all year, it’s a normal thing, I’m used to it,” Lewis Hamilton told Sky Sports after qualifying on Saturday evening.
“It doesn’t feel like it [gives me potential], we’ve done everything, we’ve worked so hard in the background, like everybody does, to get the car in a nice place, it was feeling good in P3, let’s not touch anything, all we changed was just the rear wing.
“It’s a drastic difference, every time I get to qualifying the car is completely different, I can’t pinpoint why, it is what it is, I hope I can strike a balance tomorrow.
“There’s so much to play for tomorrow, I’ll try and do a good job.”
Lewis Hamilton reveals biggest frustration after latest F1 setback: ‘I’m losing all the time’
Lewis Hamilton was left frustrated after another F1 setback as the Mercedes driver finished sixth in qualifying for the Mexico City Grand Prix.
The Briton failed to hide his emotions after Q3, which included a costly spin on the penultimate corner, ensuring teammate George Russell has now bettered him in qualifying 15 times out of 20.
And Hamilton, who will join Ferrari for the 2025 season, cut a dejected figure following what he described as a “drastic” regression in performance over the course of practice and qualifying.
Lewis Hamilton reveals biggest frustration after latest F1 setback
The Mercedes driver finished behind teammate George Russell and will start the Mexico City Grand Prix in sixth
Max Verstappen qualifies ahead of Lando Norris but ‘question marks’ set up Mexico City thriller
Max Verstappen edged out title rival Lando Norris as Ferrari’s Carlos Sainz claimed pole position at the Mexico Grand Prix.
Norris trails Verstappen by 57 points in the drivers’ championship with five races remaining and 146 points up for grabs and needs to start making major inroads into the Dutchman’s advantage.
McLaren failed in their bid to overturn Norris’s controversial penalty which demoted him behind Verstappen in Austin, Texas, last weekend – a result the British driver labelled a “momentum killer” in his pursuit of a maiden title.
Verstappen edges out Norris but ‘question marks’ set up Mexico City thriller
Carlos Sainz claimed pole but Verstappen joined the Ferrari on the front row after a fine drive once again in the Red Bull
Lando Norris makes admission in F1 title fight with Max Verstappen: ‘It’s a shame but it’s the truth’
Lando Norris has admitted he is “not quite” at Max Verstappen’s “level” during this critical juncture in the Formula 1 title race.
Norris had two chances to narrow the gap to title leader Verstappen last weekend, in Saturday’s US Grand Prix sprint race and in Sunday’s standard race.
Red Bull’s Verstappen started on pole in the sprint and converted for a win, while McLaren’s Norris dropped from second to third. Then, on Sunday, Norris dropped from pole to fourth, while Verstappen fell from second to third.
“Max is the best in the world in this style of defence and attacking,” Norris said via the BBC. “So, I have to be at his level.”
Lando Norris makes Max Verstappen admission: ‘It’s a shame but it’s the truth’
Norris missed two chances to narrow the gap to the title leader last weekend
McLaren lose bid to have Lando Norris penalty overturned following Max Verstappen incident
McLaren have failed in their bid to overturn Lando Norris’ penalty from the United States Grand Prix.
The team invoked a “right of review”, asking the stewards to look again at the turn 12 incident in Austin, where Norris was handed a five-second penalty for leaving the track and gaining a lasting advantage while overtaking Max Verstappen in the closing stages.
That demoted the British driver below his title rival as the Dutchman extended his championship lead to 57 points.
McLaren lose bid to have Norris penalty overturned following Verstappen incident
The British driver was handed a five-second penalty in the United States Grand Prix which put him behind title rival Max Verstappen
Sergio Perez’s F1 clock is ticking – and impact on Mexico Grand Prix future could be huge
It is difficult to remember the last time Sergio Perez’s seat at Red Bull was not under intense scrutiny and pressure. Perhaps at the start of this season, after four podiums in the first five races, and with the stance of Christian Horner’s juggernaut as the sport’s No 1 outfit on track in no doubt at all. Now though, the sands have shifted.
With five races left in 2024, Red Bull are second in the constructors’ championship: 40 points off McLaren in first but just eight points ahead of Ferrari in third. Max Verstappen, chasing a fourth-straight drivers’ title, has accrued over 70% of Red Bull’s points himself. Perez, however, is a mammoth 204 points behind his teammate, languishing eighth in the individual table.
It is, by far, the biggest margin between teammates in the sport. Yet still, the 34-year-old remains in his post ahead of his home race in Mexico City this weekend. His 2021 podium at the Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez, with his adoring father watching on, is undoubtedly a career highlight.
Perez’s F1 clock is ticking – and impact on Mexico Grand Prix future could be huge
Mexican hero Perez’s spot at Red Bull is under intense scrutiny – again – and his future may have an impact on the Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez as a grand prix venue in the future
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