2025 F1 Mexican Grand Prix: race time, how to watch, starting grid and weather forecast

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Formula 1 is heading to the Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez for the Mexico City Grand Prix. Here’s everything you need to know about Round 20 of the 2025 F1 championship.

Max Verstappen dominated last weekend out at the Circuit of the Americas, after taking pole position and victories for the Sprint race and the United States Grand Prix.

The Dutchman’s strong performance has pulled him even closer to the McLaren duo in the drivers’ standings, with Verstappen scoring maximum points over the weekend.

The four-time world champion is now just 26 points behind Lando Norris and 40 points away from championship leader Oscar Piastri.

Verstappen has scored 111 points since the summer break, almost doubling that of Piastri’s 62. Both McLaren drivers have also been outscored by George Russell in the last five races, as pressure appears to be mounting on the Woking-based duo.

At the start of the United States Grand Prix Sprint race, Piastri attempted to cut back on Norris into Turn 1, colliding with Nico Hulkenberg’s Sauber. The crash flicked the Aussie’s car up and into the side of Norris, taking both McLarens out of the race.

A mixed result for the pair means that Verstappen had a prime opportunity to pull himself back into the drivers’ championship, and the grand prix could prove pivotal in who will be victorious at the end of the year.

When is the Mexican Grand Prix? Full weekend schedule including practice, qualifying and race timings

The 2025 Mexico City Grand Prix is set to take place between the 24th and 26th October 2025, with the main race around the Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez taking place on Sunday 26th October at 2pm track time.

How to watch the 2025 Mexican Grand Prix, including free highlights

The 2025 Mexican can be watched live on Sky Sports Main Event, with all additional coverage, including practice and qualifying, available on the Sky Sports F1 channel. NowTV customers with the Sky Sports package can also watch the race and all additional coverage live.

Free to watch highlights of the race at the Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez are available to watch at 12.30am on Monday 27 October on Channel 4, before a later replay at 9.40am.

What is the starting grid for the 2025 Mexican Grand Prix?

Lando Norris has taken pole position for the 2025 Mexican Grand Prix after an exciting qualifying session, which saw his teammate Oscar Piastri fall short.

Norris leads from Charles Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton, in what could prove a pivotal moment for this year’s drivers’ championship.

Carlos Sainz has a five-place grid penalty for the race at the Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez after he crashed with Kimi Antonelli at the previous United States Grand Prix.

The Spaniard had been battling with the young Mercedes driver in the opening laps before attempting to make an overtake at Turn 15. Sainz caught the rear left tyre of Antonelli’s car, spinning the Mercedes off the track.

What is the weather forecast for the 2025 Mexican Grand Prix?

The Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez sits in Mexico City, which is 2,200 metres above sea level. The altitude difference makes the race one of the most unique grands prix on the calendar, as the thinner air impacts the car’s aerodynamics, making it harder to cool the car.

After two consecutive ‘heat hazard’ races, teams and drivers will be relieved to see that slightly cooler temperatures are forecast this weekend.

Friday 24 October 2025 – FP1 & FP2: Friday is forecast to be sunny, with highs of 25°C during FP2, although it should only be a degree cooler for FP1. Light 5mph winds should hit the track from the north east, resulting in a head-on breeze in turns 1 and 3. It should remain dry, however there is a slight 8% chance of rain during FP2.

Saturday 25 October 2025 – FP3 & Qualifying: Temperatures should start cooler for FP3, which is forecast to reach 23°C maximum, although this should rise to 27°C by qualifying. It will be another sunny and dry day with no chance of rain on Saturday.

Sunday 26 October 2025 – Race: The 2025 Mexican Grand Prix is forecast to be dry and sunny, with highs of 26°C. There is a 10% chance of rain, and a gentle 6mph breeze will hit the track from the north east again.

What is the Pirelli tyre allocation for the 2025 Mexican Grand Prix?

Similar to last weekend’s United States Grand Prix, Pirelli have opted for another jump in compound tyres for the Mexico City Grand Prix. The Medium C4 and Soft C5 tyres will remain the same from 2024; however, the Hard tyre will be a step harder, with the C2.

Pirelli have chosen the jump in compounds once again to try and trigger teams to opt for a different strategy. The C4 and C5 will be preferable for the teams, although with the rate of degradation, those who opt for the softer tyre could be forced to make a second pit stop.

The C2 will give drivers the option for a longer stint before the tyres degrade, however, much like COTA, this could be a significant drop in performance.

Where is the 2025 Mexican Grand Prix held?

The 2025 Mexico City Grand Prix is held at the Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez, which first hosted a Formula 1 race in 1962. The iconic track has held 25 races and returned as a permanent feature on the calendar in 2015 after not hosting a grand prix since 1992 after safety concerns.

The track was unable to meet modern F1 safety standards in the 1990s, with the Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez being found to have a deteriorating and hazardous surface. In 1992, Mexico City was named the most polluted city in the world, which also was a big factor in the decision to remove the race from the F1 calendar.

The 4.304 km (2.674 mi) circuit was designed originally by Oscar Fernandez in 1953 and sits 2,238m above sea level, which causes unique challenges to the teams. The thinner air means cars need the higher downforce setups as the level of aerodynamic drag is significantly reduced, resulting in an impact on straight-line speed.

Who won the 2024 Mexican Grand Prix?

Carlos Sainz started the 2024 Mexico City Grand Prix from pole position, briefly losing the lead to Verstappen during a chaotic race start. Yuki Tsunoda’s Racing Bulls made contact with the Williams of Alex Albon, sending the Japanese driver into the barriers and causing an early safety car.

Sainz regained the lead on Lap 9, leaving Verstappen to fight with his championship rival Norris who was sitting in third. It was a scrappy fight between the Red Bull and the McLaren, which saw the Dutchman awarded two 10-second penalties for pushing Norris off the track twice.

The fight between the two championship leaders allowed Charles Leclerc to move through into second, until he was eventually caught and overtaken by Norris in the final laps of the race. Heading out of the final corner, the Monegasque ran wide, allowing the McLaren closely behind to pass.

As Formula 1 comes back to Mexico City this year, Sainz’s win in 2024 still remains Ferrari’s last victory.