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F1 cars are faster in Mexico than last year

Did you know that Charles Leclerc’s time in first practice was a quarter of a second quicker than the fastest time in the same session last year? Although the drivers were slower than last year in second practice, that is still remarkable given that we are in the first year of the new regulations.

This is down to resurfacing at many points around the circuit, but above all to the concept of these cars, which are less sensitive to the loss of downforce at high altitude.

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Audi to pay €12,500 in fines

Audi received two fines on Friday. The first, of €7,500, was for leaving an external cooling device attached to Freddie Slater’s car in first practice, and the second (€5,000) was for mechanics carrying a floor covered by a sheet during practice. The team also used another sheet to obscure the view of the car while mechanics worked on it.

Covering components or blocking the view into the garage is prohibited. Teams are only allowed to screen off areas of the garage “with their own bodies”.

Verstappen: Mexico’s demands play to Ferrari’s strengths

According to Max Verstappen, it is understandable that Ferrari are performing well in Mexico. “Well, they’ve been quick already in sessions the last few weeks. So this is a track where, you know, you need even more low-speed performance, so it should normally, of course, play into their hands.”

Scuderia has the strongest qualifying pace, according to F1 analysis

Formula 1 analysed the performance of each car after Friday practice and concluded that Ferrari has the fastest car over a single lap. Red Bull and Mercedes are almost two tenths behind.

Although Lando Norris was only a tenth off the pace on Friday, his true deficit is believed to be closer to 0.5 seconds.

Dakar Rally announces replacement venue for 2027 event

The Dakar Rally announced a week ago that January’s event would not take place in its originally planned location, Saudi Arabia. The legendary rally will instead follow an alternative route through Portugal and Morocco.

The prologue will start at the Algarve circuit. The first full stage will follow the coast of Portugal and Spain. Competitors will then head to Morocco, where they will tackle a further eleven stages, finishing in Marrakesh.

The total distance of the 2027 edition will be 7824 kilometres.

Alonso: Antonelli is a great champion, he makes no mistakes and never has a bad race

Fernando Alonso may have criticised the drivers at the back of the field, but he is also happy to give credit where it is due. “Kimi Antonelli has brushed against perfection; he’s a great champion. He never makes mistakes or has bad races. So that consistency and that winning spirit have been, probably, the best thing of this year for him.”

“He will become a champion this weekend, and he’ll celebrate on Sunday night. I hope we can crash the party!” said the 2005 and 2006 world champion with a smile.

A Mexican ofrenda featuring F1 champions and Roscoe

As is traditional, the Mexican race weekend fell at the end of October, coinciding with All Saints’ Day, known in Mexico as Día de los Muertos.

The weekend’s “ofrenda”, a kind of altar intended to welcome the souls of the dead back among the living, features all the great figures from Formula 1 history. Even Hamilton’s dog Roscoe has been included.

Mexican Grand Prix weekend expected to stay dry

Weather models point to a dry Mexican Grand Prix. Conditions should be mostly sunny, with a chance of morning fog. Air temperatures will reach 25 to 27 ˚C.

A full rundown of the young drivers taking part in first practice at the Mexican Grand Prix

Young drivers will take centre stage in first practice for the Mexican Grand Prix, with ten of them on track. Ferrari will be the only team not to field a young driver.

– Mercedes: Frederik Vesti (in place of George Russell)
– Red Bull: Ayumu Iwasa (in place of Max Verstappen)
– McLaren: Leonardo Fornaroli (in place of Lando Norris)
– Racing Bulls: Nikola Tsolov (in place of Liam Lawson)
– Alpine: Gabriele Minì (in place of Franco Colapinto)
– Haas: Ryo Hirakawa (in place of Esteban Ocon)
– Audi: Freddie Slater (in place of Gabriel Bortoleto)
– Williams: Luke Browning (in place of Alex Albon)
– Aston Martin: Jak Crawford (in place of Lance Stroll)
– Cadillac: Colton Herta (in place of Valtteri Bottas)

Lando Norris’s LN4 Fusion team secures a Formula 2 entry

Lando Norris’s junior team LN4 Fusion has secured a place on the Formula 2 grid for the 2027 season. That means it will compete in all the major junior categories: Formula 2, Formula 3, Formula Regional, Italian Formula 4 and German Formula 4.

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