Formula 1 returns for the Mexico City Grand Prix, with the Drivers’ Championship sitting well within Kimi Antonelli’s reach. The historic Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez hosts the action, a circuit brought into existence back in 1959 thanks to the father of pioneering racing brothers Ricardo and Pedro Rodriguez, who used his connection to President Adolfo Lopez Mateo to encourage the construction of the Magdalena Mixiuhca track. Located in a public park, it hosted a non-championship race in 1962 before Jim Clark won its first bona fide Grand Prix the following year.
The venue was later renamed in honour of the Rodriguez brothers after their untimely deaths, eventually dropping off the calendar due to safety concerns before returning in 2015 with significant alterations. The greatest challenge here is undoubtedly the high altitude. At over 2200 metres, Mexico City stands as F1's highest circuit, where the thinner air impacts downforce, cooling, and physical exertion while allowing for incredible speeds down the main straight—such as the 363kph top speed recorded by Oscar Piastri in 2025.
Jolyon Palmer, former Renault F1 driver, explained the unique difficulties of wrestling a machine around the venue: “The Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez has a low downforce effect but, here in Mexico City, you run to the maximum due to the thin air. The car always feels low on grip and on the edge around here.” Palmer added that the big braking zones in the first half of the lap are tricky, the middle sector is loose, and the fiddly final sector makes the car feel ridiculously slow through the stadium section.
Technological adjustments define the racing here through new regulations. Straight Mode—an aerodynamic configuration used on every single lap in dry conditions where both the rear wing and the uppermost front wing elements drop down to reduce drag—features three designated zones: down the long start/finish straight, between Turns 3 and 4, and between Turns 11 and 12. Meanwhile, Overtake Mode replaces DRS as a new power mode allowing drivers to recharge more electrical energy and sustain higher speeds, with the Overtake Detection point at Turn 14 and the Overtake Activation line following at the entry of Turn 17.
History and milestones loom large over the weekend. Mexico City serves as a happy hunting ground for Max Verstappen, who has clinched a record five wins at the track. Furthermore, home hero Sergio Perez is set to take his 300th Grand Prix start in Mexico City. Several drivers have also been crowned World Champion at the Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez over the years, including John Surtees, Graham Hill, and Lewis Hamilton.
