The Mexico GP 2025 returns to Mexico City’s high-altitude battleground at Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez.
Expect a thrilling blend of championship drama, bold strategy calls, and the unique challenges of racing 2.2 km above sea level to shape this weekend’s narrative.
Weekend Breakdown
Mexico GP 2025 is standard three-day weekend with three practice sessions, qualifying on Saturday, and the Grand Prix on Sunday. Teams benefit from maximum setup time after last week’s Sprint format.
Mexico GP 2025 Circuit Guide – Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez
The Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez is a 4.304 km, 17-turn circuit set in a public park near central Mexico City. It features a massive 1.2 km start/finish straight that leads into a tight Turn 1–3 chicane. This setup creates a key overtaking zone thanks to the long slipstream drag into Turn 1.
Sector 1 rewards top speed and late braking. In contrast, Sector 3 takes drivers through the Foro Sol stadium, where 30,000 fans line the slow hairpin at Turn 13. After that, cars accelerate toward the iconic Peraltada, exiting onto the straight once again.
Photo Credit: Alpine F1 Team – track layout
However, what defines this track is altitude. At 2,240 meters above sea level, it is the highest circuit on the F1 calendar. The thin air reduces engine power and strains cooling systems, making car management crucial.
Sector 2 features quick changes of direction through Turns 7–11. Meanwhile, Sector 3 demands strong mechanical grip in its tighter corners. Therefore, finding the right balance between aero drag and cornering stability is key. Teams must decide how much downforce they can run without becoming vulnerable on the straights. As a result, car setup here is a unique challenge.
- The official race lap record at this venue is 1:18.336, set by Charles Leclerc in a Ferrari.
Weather Forecast: Mild Conditions Expected for Mexico GP 2025
Friday – October 24
The weekend begins under warm conditions. Friday morning’s FP1 should run under partly sunny skies around 23–25°C, with essentially no rain expected initially. By late afternoon for FP2, cloud cover increases and forecasts indicate about a 30–40% chance of showers.
Any brief rain in FP2 could disrupt long-run data gathering and leave teams with a green track for Saturday. Ambient highs will reach ~25°C, and humidity hovers near 20–22%, keeping the air very dry. Even a short drizzle could quickly evaporate, but would also wash away rubber, so teams must stay alert during that second practice window.
Saturday – October 25
Forecasts point to a mostly dry Saturday. FP3 and Qualifying should see clear or partly cloudy skies with temperatures around 23–24°C. There’s only a slight 20% chance of an isolated light shower in the afternoon so it’s likely both final practice and the all-important Quali will run uninterrupted on a hot track.
Lower cloud cover means strong sunshine could heat the asphalt quickly, yet the thin air and moderate peak temperature will limit how high track temps climb. Teams can expect consistent conditions to dial in one-lap performance. One factor to note is the low humidity, dropping to near 15% later in the day which can cause engines and brakes to run a bit hotter as there’s less dense air for cooling.
Sunday – October 26
Race day is trending mostly dry. A stable air mass is moving in, bringing bright skies and only a ~20% chance of a stray shower during the Grand Prix. The race is set to start with an air temp of about 25°C under clear or lightly cloudy skies, very similar to last year’s sunny conditions.
With minimal rain expected, teams can plan strategy without the chaos of weather, though a lingering cloud or two means they can’t completely ignore the radar. Critically, Mexico City’s altitude will affect Sunday in subtler ways: the air’s low oxygen content will make engine cooling and brake cooling a persistent concern in the 71-lap race, especially in the thin air of late afternoon.
Power units will run hot and turbochargers work overtime at this elevation, so watch for teams running extra cooling louvers or sacrificing some aerodynamic efficiency to keep temperatures in check.
Tyre Strategy: Navigating an Unusual C2–C5 Compound Selection
Pirelli is bringing an aggressive mix of rubber for Mexico City, opting once again for a non-consecutive compound allocation. The tyre menu will consist of the C2 (Hard), C4 (Medium), and C5 (Soft) compounds.
A step softer overall than last weekend in Austin, but still featuring a deliberate “skip” (no C3) to widen performance gaps. For teams, this means the Hard tire is two steps harder than the Soft, promising a stark contrast in grip levels. Each driver has the usual 13 sets of slicks since this is not a Sprint: specifically 2 sets of Hards, 3 Mediums, and 8 Softs available for the weekend.
Photo Credit: Alpine F1 Team – F1 tyre options
What to Watch
Title Fight Intensifies at Altitude
The Drivers’ Championship battle is reaching a fever pitch as we head into Mexico City’s thin air. McLaren teammates Oscar Piastri and Lando Norris arrive separated by just 14 points atop the standings, with Piastri still clinging to a narrow lead. Breathing down their necks is Max Verstappen, now only 40 points off Piastri after a stunning comeback run.
Verstappen has won three of the last four Grands Prix and slashed what was a 104-point deficit at the end of August down to 40. Momentum is clearly on the reigning champion’s side, yet the McLaren duo has managed to keep their advantage… so far. In Austin, neither orange car won on Sunday (Verstappen did), but Norris still inched closer to Piastri, who had a rough weekend. In fact, Verstappen’s Texas win threw what looked like a two-horse race wide open.
Ferrari & Mercedes Eye an Upset
While the title contenders duel, Ferrari and Mercedes will be lying in wait to play spoiler. Ferrari, in particular, comes to Mexico with confidence from last year’s triumph: Carlos Sainz won the 2024 Mexico GP in memorable fashion, leading a near 1-2 for the Scuderia until Norris snatched P2 late.
This season, Ferrari haven’t reached those same heights often, but Charles Leclerc’s podium finish in Austin suggests the team is finding form again towards season’s end. The Scarlet cars tend to perform well on smoother surfaces and in thinner air – and indeed, George Russell reminded everyone that Ferrari “won here and McLaren were quick here last year – we (Mercedes) finished ahead of Max” in Mexico.
One storyline to watch is the battle between Ferrari and Mercedes themselves for “best of the rest.” McLaren has run away with the Constructors’ title, but P2 in the standings is still contested. Any big points haul here could tilt that balance. If either Ferrari or Mercedes hits the sweet spot this weekend, they might not only secure a podium, they could steal the full 25 points. And stealing a win at Mexico GP 2025 could indirectly determine the drivers’ title as well, by denying those points to the top three contenders.
Young Drivers Take Center Stage in Mexico
As part of the FIA’s mandate requiring teams to run rookie drivers in at least two free practice sessions per season, Mexico City welcomes a diverse lineup of emerging and experienced talents. Only Sauber has already completed this obligation earlier in the year, thanks to Gabriel Bortoleto and a temporary loan of Paul Aron from Alpine.
This weekend, seasoned winners like Fernando Alonso, Nico Hulkenberg, Ryo Hirakawa, and Antonio Fuoco will share track time with a new generation of hopefuls. Hirakawa, a Toyota-linked driver and Le Mans winner, returns to Haas after previous sessions and is also set for Abu Dhabi. Fuoco, despite a decade at Ferrari and test mileage, will make his official F1 weekend debut.
Mexico also sees the return of local favorite Pato O’Ward, who reprises his FP1 appearance with McLaren. Meanwhile, Red Bull introduces rising star Arvid Lindblad, who sits seventh in Formula 2 and will get valuable seat time in Verstappen’s car.
Among other juniors, Frederik Vesti, Ayumu Iwasa, Luke Browning, Jak Crawford, and Paul Aron round out a busy roster of future prospects.
Looking ahead, only Abu Dhabi remains a realistic venue for teams to complete rookie obligations, as upcoming sprint weekends and Las Vegas pose logistical challenges. One notable detail: Oscar Piastri will have to give up FP1 in the final round, potentially complicating his title ambitions.
Image Credit: Scuderia Ferrari – Antonio Fuoco, 29 year old driver who will take part at FP1 as Ferrari driver
Feature Image Credit: Mercedes AMG Petronas F1 Team