Antonelli on brink of title as Mexico City GP set for Sunday

Round 19 of Formula 1's 2026 season is at the Mexico Grand Prix at the Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez in Mexico City, Mexico, with qualifying completed on Saturday and the race scheduled for Sunday.

Kimi Antonelli sits close to securing his maiden Drivers' Championship and could become the youngest world champion, a record currently held by Sebastian Vettel. Antonelli will clinch the title if he finishes ninth or higher, or if neither George Russell nor Lewis Hamilton wins the race; if he finishes outside the points he would need both of his nearest rivals to miss out on victory. Mercedes also have an opportunity to seal the Constructors' Championship: leading Ferrari by 133 points, the Silver Arrows must outscore their rivals by at least 39 points this weekend to return to the top spot for the first time since 2021.

Similar to COTA last week, the forecast for Mexico City currently calls for dry, sunny conditions for track action. Clear skies and warm racing conditions are expected for Sunday's Grand Prix. Temperatures are predicted to range between 24°C and 27°C, with nighttime values around 13°C.

Lewis Hamilton secured his first-ever Grand Prix pole position with Ferrari at the Mexico City GP. George Russell will start second, while Charles Leclerc completes the top three from qualifying. Qualifying concluded on Saturday ahead of the race on Sunday.

Ryo Hirakawa replaced Ocon before FP3 in the second Haas for the remainder of the Grand Prix weekend in Mexico City. Liam Lawson, who initially qualified eighth, was facing a one-place grid penalty for an earlier FP2 incident involving Red Bull's Max Verstappen. Lawson has been disqualified from qualifying in Mexico City after his car was found to have breached the technical regulations.

Max Verstappen is the most successful driver at the Mexican Grand Prix with 5 wins (2017, 2018, 2021, 2022, and 2023). McLaren's Lando Norris won the 2025 Mexican Grand Prix, with Charles Leclerc and Max Verstappen completing that podium. The TAG Heuer world start times for the Mexico City Grand Prix have been published for global viewers.

Sunday's race at the Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez will determine whether Antonelli secures the Drivers' Championship and whether Mercedes can clinch the Constructors' title under the scenarios outlined above. Viewers in India can watch on FanCode or via the official F1 TV streaming service, and global start times are available through the TAG Heuer listings.