Mexico City runs six hours behind the UK, and the clocks went back in Britain on 25 October, the weekend before the race. That combination catches fans out every year.
The Mexico City Grand Prix takes place from 30 October to 1 November, Sky Sports F1 has every session live, and the exact UK start time decides whether you watch the race or the replay. With Red Bull’s line-up only recently restored after Isack Hadjar’s injury, Friday matters too. And with Kimi Antonelli able to clinch the drivers’ title on Sunday, this could be the weekend the 2026 championship is settled.
If a pre-race bet is part of your weekend, a guide to new betting sites lets you compare UK Gambling Commission licences, F1 markets and withdrawal times before the lights go out, rather than signing up in a rush during the grid walk. It is most useful on Saturday evening, once qualifying has set the grid and you know Sunday’s start time. Betting is for over-18s only; set a limit before you start.
Context and championship status ahead of Mexico City
After round 18 in Austin, Kimi Antonelli leads the drivers’ championship with 365 points, 123 ahead of Mercedes team-mate George Russell on 242. Lewis Hamilton is third on 241, with Max Verstappen on 236 and Charles Leclerc on 233, so four drivers are covered by just nine points in the fight for second place.
Antonelli won in Austin for his ninth victory of the season, with Leclerc second and Verstappen third. Hamilton was fourth after passing Lando Norris with six laps to go, and Russell was eighth. The race stretched Antonelli’s lead from 102 points after Singapore to 123. For more, see Formula 1’s Austin lowdown and RaceFans’ championship page for the Singapore result that set up this run-in.
Verstappen arrives in form after a lights-to-flag win at Marina Bay and a podium in Austin. Previous results in Mexico favour him too: he has won here five times, while Lando Norris took the 2025 race.
Antonelli can clinch the title in Mexico City
Antonelli missed out on the title in Austin by two points: a lead of 125 would have ended the fight, and he left Texas on 123. With five rounds and 125 points left, Mexico City is his next chance, and the maths is generous. A finish in ninth place or better makes him champion, whatever Russell and Hamilton do. Even if he fails to score, he is champion as long as neither Russell nor Hamilton wins the race.
The title only goes to Brazil if Russell wins and Antonelli finishes tenth or lower, or Hamilton wins and Antonelli finishes outside the points. At 20, Antonelli would also surpass Sebastian Vettel as the youngest champion in Formula 1 history.
Full weekend schedule, times and UK TV: What time is the Mexico Grand Prix?
The Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez is on Central Standard Time (UTC−6) all year, as Mexico no longer uses daylight saving. With the UK back on GMT from 25 October, every session is exactly six hours ahead in Britain, which makes the UK time easy to work out once you know the local slot. The busiest evening for UK viewers is Saturday, with FP3 and qualifying starting three and a half hours apart.
Free Practice 1 (Friday 30 October)
FP1 runs 12:30–13:30 local time, 18:30–19:30 UK time. Teams use the hour to set up for the thin air, where downforce levels are closer to Monaco than Monza. Early pace often flatters teams with strong cooling, so treat the timesheet with caution.
Free Practice 2 (Friday 30 October)
FP2 runs 16:00–17:00 local, 22:00–23:00 UK. This is the main long-run session, with tyre degradation work taking priority over qualifying simulations. Teams will focus on how the soft compound survives on the slippery, low-grip surface.
Free Practice 3 and qualifying (Saturday 31 October)
Qualifying starts at 15:00 local, 21:00 UK, after FP3 at 11:30 local (17:30 UK). The run to Turn 1 is one of the longest on the calendar, so pole is less decisive than elsewhere: a strong slipstream can turn third into first by the braking zone.
Race (Sunday 1 November)
The start is at 14:00 local, 20:00 UK. The race runs over 71 laps of the 4.304km circuit, or a maximum of 120 minutes. Sky’s build-up starts at 18:30 UK, so tune in by 19:45 for the formation lap.
| Session | Date | Local time | UK time (GMT) | UK TV |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Free Practice 1 | Friday 30 October | 12:30–13:30 | 18:30–19:30 | Sky Sports F1 |
| Free Practice 2 | Friday 30 October | 16:00–17:00 | 22:00–23:00 | Sky Sports F1 |
| Free Practice 3 | Saturday 31 October | 11:30 | 17:30 | Sky Sports F1 |
| Qualifying | Saturday 31 October | 15:00 | 21:00 | Sky Sports F1 |
| Race | Sunday 1 November | 14:00 | 20:00 | Sky Sports F1 |
The official timetable, including support races, is on Formula 1’s weekend schedule.
Here is where Mexico City sits in the closing run of rounds:
| Round or stage | Date | Venue | Why it matters |
|---|---|---|---|
| Round 17 | 11 October 2026 | Singapore | Antonelli’s lead grew to 102 points |
| Round 18 | 25 October 2026 | Austin, United States | Antonelli won to stretch his lead to 123 points |
| Round 19 | 1 November 2026 | Mexico City | Antonelli can clinch the title; altitude test for every power unit |
| Round 20 | 8 November 2026 | São Paulo, Brazil | Back-to-back with Mexico |
Line-ups, driver fitness and likely absences
Isack Hadjar fractured his wrist doing boxing drills in the summer break and missed the Dutch, Italian and Spanish Grands Prix, with Liam Lawson stepping into the Red Bull and Yuki Tsunoda covering at Racing Bulls. Red Bull boss Laurent Mekies kept the message calm throughout: “Look, Isack is okay.” Hadjar is now back and scored a point in Singapore.
Sky Sports’ original report on the injury is in Sky’s Hadjar update.
The expected grid is otherwise unchanged. Home favourite Sergio Pérez races in his first season with Cadillac, which still has no points. With no confirmed absences, the results should reflect pure pace and strategy rather than replacement drivers. Pérez will also have the loudest support of the weekend: the final sector runs through the Foro Sol stadium, where the home crowd traditionally greets every Mexican driver lap after lap. For Cadillac, simply reaching Q2 in front of that audience would count as progress.
What will decide the outcome in Mexico City
Several factors usually decide this race. At more than 2,200 metres above sea level, the air is thin, which cuts downforce and makes engine and brake cooling critical. Qualifying matters, but the long drag to Turn 1 rewards a good start more than pole.
A one-stop strategy is normal, so the timing of the stop and any safety car will shape the time gaps at the flag. Late-October weather is usually dry, but afternoon showers can arrive. Teams with efficient cooling and a strong straight-line car, traditionally Red Bull, tend to gain the most here.
Final forecast
Verstappen is the favourite on form and track record, with Antonelli needing only a top-nine finish to end the title fight. To keep it alive, Russell must win and Antonelli must finish tenth or lower, while Hamilton needs a win and Antonelli outside the points. Best-case underdog scenario for the race itself: Hamilton or Leclerc profit from Ferrari’s straight-line speed and a strategy gamble.
FAQ
What time is the Mexico Grand Prix? The race starts at 14:00 local time on Sunday 1 November, which is 20:00 in the UK, live on Sky Sports F1. In short: eight o’clock on Sunday evening.
What time does the Mexican Grand Prix start in the UK? At 20:00 GMT, as UK clocks went back on 25 October and Mexico does not change its clocks. Coverage is on Sky Sports F1 and the NOW streaming service.
Where can I watch the Mexico City Grand Prix in the UK? Sky Sports F1 shows every session live, with race build-up from 18:30. Subscribers can stream via Sky Go, and non-subscribers can buy a NOW Sports pass. Highlights are posted on F1’s official channels after the race.
Can Kimi Antonelli win the 2026 title in Mexico City? Yes. He leads Russell by 123 points with five races and 125 points left. Finish ninth or better and he is champion whatever anyone else does. Even with no points, he is champion unless Russell or Hamilton wins the race. At 20, he would break Sebastian Vettel’s record as the youngest champion.
Who is favourite to win the Mexico City Grand Prix, and how will it affect the standings? Verstappen is favourite after his Singapore win, a podium in Austin and five previous victories here. A win would lift him towards second place, while Antonelli only needs ninth to take the title. The race should finish at around 21:45 UK time. Recent winners in Mexico include Norris in 2025 and Carlos Sainz in 2024.
