Formula 1’s championship battle comes to a head this afternoon at the Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez, where Mercedes driver Kimi Antonelli has a chance to clinch the World Drivers’ Championship at the Mexico City Grand Prix.
Antonelli needs only to finish ninth or better to secure the title outright, no matter where his closest rivals, Ferrari’s Lewis Hamilton and Mercedes teammate George Russell, end up. Even if he finishes lower than ninth, Antonelli still wins the championship as long as neither Hamilton nor Russell takes first place.
The grid tells its own story heading into the race. Hamilton starts from pole position, his first since joining Ferrari, with Russell alongside him in second. Antonelli starts fourth.
Race fans in Mexico City and across the country watching at home or heading to the circuit should note the race begins at 3 p.m. ET, which is 2 p.m. local time in Mexico City.
Drama in the Haas garage
The title fight isn’t the only story coming out of race weekend. Haas driver Esteban Ocon, who had already been confirmed to leave the team at season’s end, was abruptly pulled from this weekend’s lineup and replaced by Ryo Hirakawa.
Ocon addressed the situation in a statement posted to his Instagram story, saying that a
