Mexico City Grand Prix 2026 start times: when Antonelli can be crowned champion
Qualifying is on Saturday at 22:00 CET, and a top-nine finish on Sunday makes Kimi Antonelli the youngest world champion in Formula 1 history
The Mexico City Grand Prix 2026 starts on Sunday 1 November at 14:00 local time, 21:00 CET and 15:00 ET, and it could be the race in which Kimi Antonelli becomes Formula 1 world champion. The Mercedes driver leads team-mate George Russell by 123 points with 125 left, so a top-nine finish at the Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez is enough.
Live results all weekend: Mexico City Grand Prix 2026 results. Every title scenario: what Antonelli needs in Mexico.
The race starts at 14:00 local, 21:00 CET and 15:00 ET
| Session | Day | Local (Mexico City) | CET | US Eastern (ET) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Practice 1 | Fri 30 Oct | 12:30 | 19:30 | 14:30 |
| Practice 2 | Fri 30 Oct | 16:00 | 23:00 | 18:00 |
| Practice 3 | Sat 31 Oct | 11:30 | 18:30 | 13:30 |
| Qualifying | Sat 31 Oct | 15:00 | 22:00 | 17:00 |
| Race | Sun 1 Nov | 14:00 | 21:00 | 15:00 |
Times from the official Formula 1 timetable. Europe is already on winter time, but the United States only switches back on Sunday morning, so the race is the first session in Eastern Standard Time. Mexico City does not use daylight saving time. There is no sprint this weekend.
Who drives in FP1: Herta, Minì, Fornaroli and the other Mexico City FP1 stand-ins.
A top-nine finish is enough, whatever Russell and Hamilton do
After his win in Austin, Antonelli has 365 points. Russell is 123 behind, Lewis Hamilton 124. After Mexico four Grands Prix and 100 points remain. If Antonelli finishes ninth, he scores two points, and even a Russell win leaves the gap at exactly 100. A tie would go to the driver with more wins, and Antonelli has nine to Russell’s three.
He can also be champion without scoring at all: if neither Russell nor Hamilton wins the race, the gap stays above 100. Only a win for one of his two rivals, combined with Antonelli finishing tenth or lower, takes the fight on to São Paulo. The full table is on our F1 standings 2026 page.
Antonelli after his win in Austin last Sunday. Photo: Mercedes-Benz Grand Prix Ltd. / Mercedes Media Centre
Twenty years old, three years younger than Vettel
Antonelli was born in Bologna on 25 August 2006. On Sunday he will be 20 years and 68 days old. The record for the youngest world champion belongs to Sebastian Vettel, who was 23 years and 134 days old when he won the 2010 title in Abu Dhabi. More on the record: Antonelli’s path to becoming F1’s youngest champion.
He would also be the first Italian world champion since Alberto Ascari in 1953, and Mercedes’ first drivers’ champion since Lewis Hamilton in 2020. His season so far: Kimi Antonelli profile.
How to watch: F1 TV and the national broadcasters
Every session is shown live by the Formula 1 rights holder in each country, and F1 TV Pro streams the whole weekend where it is available. Formula 1 lists the broadcaster per country on its official Mexico City Grand Prix page.
Our read
Antonelli does not have to win in Mexico, and that may be the hardest part of the weekend. A driver with nine victories now has to think about the points first, and the long run to the first corner is where a title can be lost in one move. Mercedes will be happy with a quiet ninth place. We do not expect him to settle for that.
If not Mexico, São Paulo on 8 November
Should the title stay open, the next chance is the São Paulo Grand Prix at Interlagos on Sunday 8 November, at 14:00 local time, 18:00 CET and 12:00 ET.
Sources: official Formula 1 timetable and standings, formula1.com.
Will Antonelli settle the title in Mexico, or does the fight go on to São Paulo? Tell us in the comments.
The RNT Weekly newsletter
Race weekend times, results and our best stories in your inbox. Free, and you can unsubscribe at any time.
