The recently concluded United States Grand Prix in Texas was full of drama, as Charles Leclerc and Lewis Hamiltonβs post-race disqualification completely changed the course of the result. Max Verstappen, who has already secured a third consecutive world championship, was the winner. He was joined by Lando Norris of McLaren and Carlos Sainz Jr. of Ferrari on the podium.
But there will be no time to ponder over the disappointment for Hamilton and Leclerc as the Formula 1 calendar moves along at a rapid pace. The action will now move to Mexico, with the Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez in Mexico City hosting one of the final races of the 2023 season.
The passionate Mexican fans will undoubtedly make this an event to remember, as hometown hero Sergio Perez of Red Bull returns to his country.
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All the talking points post the United States Grand Prix has been of Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclercβs disqualification. But it still does not take anything away for Verstappen, as he equalled his own record of 15 wins in a single Formula 1 season. All eyes will now be on him as he looks to create even more history in what has been arguably the most dominant season by a racer in F1 history.
Sergio Perez will also be expected to deliver, with the pressure very much on him. But he will be bolstered by the support of the home crowd, who will be egging him on to a successful race in front of his hometown.
McLaren had another podium finish, with Lando Norris finishing second and the momentum for the British team continues as they build towards being genuine contenders to Red Bull in the 2024 season.
The twists and turns of the unpredictable circuit in Mexico though will ensure that the race is as exciting as it gets, as the 2023 season winds down, with only three races remaining after the stop in Mexico City.
Weather forecast
The week leading up to the Mexican Grand Prix is expected to be rainy in Mexico City, but the weather is expected to be cleared out by the time the race weekend rolls around.
Friday is expected to be cloudy with pleasant temperatures of 24 degree celsius. It is expected to be similar on Saturday, with the skies being partly cloudy and a maximum temperature of 25 degrees.
Sunday will again see perfect conditions for racing, with some clouds in the sky and the temperatures reaching a maximum 26 degrees.
Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez
The Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez is 2000 meters above sea level which certainly makes it a challenging experience for all the racers during an exhausting grand prix.
The circuit is characterised by fast straights and tricky corners and largely has seen its layout being unchanged since the track was built in 1959.
The first F1 race was held in 1963 and after a hiatus, returned to the calendar back in 2015. The circuit is also one of a kind, with one of the corners passing through a baseball stadium!
The track is 4.304 kilometers long and the buzzing Mexican crowd will certainly make it an experience to remember for all the racers.
Mexican Grand Prix Schedule
Due to the large time difference, the race will mostly take place during the night in Indian time.
Here is the schedule of the 2023 Mexican Grand Prix:
Saturday, October 28
12:00 am to 1:00 am: Free Practice 1
3:30 am to 4:30 am: Free Practice 2
11:00 pm to 00:00 am: Free Practice 3
Sunday, October 29
2:30 am to 3:30 am: Qualifying
Monday, October 30
1:30 am: Main race
Previous winners of the Mexican GP
It has been the Max Verstappen show in Mexico City. He will be aiming for his third consecutive win at the Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez, having won at the circuit in 2021 and 2022.
The 2020 race was cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic, with Lewis Hamilton winning in 2020, a feat he will undoubtedly look forward to replicating.
Mexican GP Betting Tips
The odds are heavily in favour of Max Verstappen qualifying at the top of the grid. The Dutch driver is also the favourite to seal his 16th win of the season.
Sergio Perez is being backed to have a strong showing in his home grand prix and Lewis Hamilton too has odds in his favour despite disqualification in the previous race.
Charles Leclercβs string of strong showings in qualifying has also seen him being backed to perform well while setting a lap time on Saturday.
πΒ Max Verstappen to qualify first (1.53)
πΒ Charles Leclerc to qualify first (8.00)
πΒ Max Verstappen to win (1.28)
πΒ Sergio Perez to win (8.00)
πΒ Lewis Hamilton to win (11.00)
