The 2023 Mexico City Grand Prix (officially the Formula 1 Gran Prêmio de la Ciudad de México 2023) was the twentieth round of the 2023 FIA Formula One World Championship, held at the Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez on the weekend of October 27 to October 29 2023.
Background[]
The Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez circuit reappeared on the F1 calendar in 2015 and has remained a fixture except for 2020, when it was canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic. After two consecutive weekends of employing the F1 Sprint format in Qatar and the United States, the conventional schedule will be reinstated for this event.
Mexican Fans[]
Mexico has always been known for its passionate F1 atmosphere, and this weekend is expected to be no different. The race organizers have received numerous awards over the years for their promotional efforts, and it's often Sergio Pérez who receives much of the spotlight. As a native of Guadalajara, Perez has faced a challenging season, leading to speculation about his future with Red Bull. Despite his struggles, the enthusiastic Mexican fans are likely to offer him unwavering support. However, this may come at the expense of a less friendly reception for Red Bull teammate Max Verstappen, who will have security personnel present throughout the event. Boos were already heard for Verstappen on the podium at last week's U.S. Grand Prix, where he clinched his third F1 title.
Alain Prost's Record[]
As the statistically dominant force of the current F1 season, Verstappen is the clear favorite to secure victory in Mexico. A win here would mark his 51st career victory, drawing him level with Alain Prost's record, which was last updated in 1993. Verstappen is quick to point out that the modern era has seen more races compared to the past, but his remarkable performance this season remains undeniable. Surpassing Prost's record would leave only Sebastian Vettel, Michael Schumacher, and Lewis Hamilton ahead of him in terms of race wins.
Constructors' Championship[]
While the battle for the Constructors' Championship has already been decided, there is still much at stake in the final four rounds of the season. Just 22 points separate Mercedes and Ferrari in their fight for second place, with McLaren in pursuit from a slightly more distant position. However, the competition at the bottom of the standings is equally significant. AlphaTauri's recent five-point haul in the United States has doubled their season tally and brought them within two points of Haas, who occupy the ninth position. Furthermore, Haas is just four points behind Alfa Romeo, setting the stage for a potential battle for positions eight through 10 that could extend all the way to the final race in Abu Dhabi. With millions of dollars in prize money on the line for each position, the outcome of this lower-end competition has significant financial implications for all parties involved.
Rookies[]
In accordance with F1's regulations, each team is required to allocate two practice sessions to rookie drivers over the course of the season. Up to this point in the year, only Robert Shwartzman of Ferrari and Felipe Drugovich of Aston Martin have had the opportunity to participate in these sessions.
For the first practice session of the weekend, Mercedes' George Russell will graciously step aside to allow Formula 2 race winner Frederik Vesti to gain some valuable experience. Vesti is one of three FP1 debutants, joining the ranks alongside Ferrari junior Oliver Bearman, who will be driving for Haas, and Isack Hadjar, who will represent AlphaTauri.
Moreover, Jack Doohan and Théo Pourchaire, who made their practice debuts last year, will be participating in the session for Alpine and Alfa Romeo, respectively.
Entry List[]
The full entry list for the 2023 Mexico City Grand Prix is outlined below:
Practice[]
FP1[]
FP2[]
FP3[]
Practice Results[]
The full practice results for the 2023 Mexico City Grand Prix are outlined below:
| No. | Driver | Team | FP1 | FP2 | FP3 | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Time | Pos | Time | Pos | Time | Pos | ||||||||
| 1 |  Max Verstappen
|
 Red Bull Racing-Honda RBPT
|
1:19.718 | 1 | 1:18.686 | 1 | 1:17.887 | 1 | |||||
| 2 |  Logan Sargeant
|
 Williams-Mercedes
|
1:21.157 | 14 | 1:19.900 | 17 | 1:18.718 | 11 | |||||
| 3 |  Daniel Ricciardo
|
 AlphaTauri-Honda RBPT
|
1:20.568 | 8 | 1:19.002 | 6 | 1:18.499 | 9 | |||||
| 4 | Lando Norris
|
McLaren-Mercedes
|
1:20.237 | 4 | 1:18.805 | 2 | 1:18.480 | 8 | |||||
| 10 |  Pierre Gasly
|
Alpine-Renault
|
DNP | 1:19.642 | 16 | 1:19.509 | 18 | ||||||
| 11 |  Sergio Pérez
|
Red Bull Racing-Honda RBPT
|
1:20.015 | 3 | 1:18.988 | 5 | 1:18.026 | 3 | |||||
| 14 |  Fernando Alonso
|
Aston Martin-Mercedes
|
1:21.347 | 16 | 1:20.426 | 20 | 1:19.471 | 17 | |||||
| 16 |  Charles Leclerc
|
Ferrari
|
1:29.297 | 5 | 1:18.952 | 3 | 1:18.970 | 13 | |||||
| 18 |  Lance Stroll
|
Aston Martin-Mercedes
|
1:20.687 | 10 | 1:20.075 | 18 | 1:19.094 | 14 | |||||
| 20 |  Kevin Magnussen
|
Haas-Ferrari
|
DNP | 1:20.112 | 19 | 1:19.573 | 19 | ||||||
| 22 |  Yuki Tsunoda
|
AlphaTauri-Honda RBPT
|
DNP | 1:19.290 | 12 | 1:18.450 | 7 | ||||||
| 23 |  Alexander Albon
|
Williams-Mercedes
|
1:19.813 | 2 | 1:19.446 | 14 | 1:17.957 | 2 | |||||
| 24 |  Guanyu Zhou
|
 Alfa Romeo-Ferrari
|
1:21.129 | 13 | 1:19.415 | 13 | 1:18.917 | 12 | |||||
| 27 |  Nico Hülkenberg
|
Haas-Ferrari
|
1:20.968 | 12 | 1:19.535 | 15 | 1:19.320 | 16 | |||||
| 31 | Esteban Ocon
|
Alpine-Renault
|
1:20.677 | 9 | 1:19.077 | 8 | 1:19.839 | 20 | |||||
| 41 | Isack Hadjar
|
AlphaTauri-Honda RBPT
|
1:21.941 | 17 | DNP | ||||||||
| 42 | Frederik Vesti
|
Mercedes
|
1:22.937 | 19 | DNP | ||||||||
| 44 | Lewis Hamilton
|
Mercedes
|
1:20.724 | 11 | 1:19.024 | 7 | 1:18.522 | 10 | |||||
| 50 | Oliver Bearman
|
Haas-Ferrari
|
1:21.313 | 15 | DNP | ||||||||
| 55 | Carlos Sainz, Jr.
|
Ferrari
|
1:20.479 | 7 | 1:19.257 | 11 | 1:19.293 | 15 | |||||
| 61 | Jack Doohan
|
Alpine-Renault
|
1:22.109 | 18 | DNP | ||||||||
| 63 | George Russell
|
Mercedes
|
DNP | 1:19.227 | 10 | 1:18.248 | 4 | ||||||
| 77 |  Valtteri Bottas
|
Alfa Romeo-Ferrari
|
DNP | 1:18.955 | 4 | 1:18.437 | 6 | ||||||
| 81 | Oscar Piastri
|
McLaren-Mercedes
|
1:20.463 | 6 | 1:19.163 | 9 | 1:18.392 | 5 | |||||
| 98 | Théo Pourchaire
|
Alfa Romeo-Ferrari
|
No Time | 20 | DNP | ||||||||
| Source: [3][4][5] | |||||||||||||
Qualifying[]
Qualifying Report[]
In a surprising turn of events at the 2023 Mexico City Grand Prix, Charles Leclerc claimed pole position, securing a front-row lockout for Ferrari with teammate Carlos Sainz in second place. Reigning world champion Max Verstappen, who had dominated practice sessions, had to settle for third place. Despite a strong start by Verstappen, Leclerc's stunning 1m 17.166 lap secured his second consecutive pole position. Daniel Ricciardo of AlphaTauri impressed with a fourth-place finish, aided by a tow from his teammate Yuki Tsunoda in earlier qualifying segments. Local favorite Sergio Pérez secured fifth place, while Lewis Hamilton was the highest-placed Mercedes driver in sixth.
Q1[]
In the first qualifying session (Q1), Verstappen led the way, setting the fastest time, while Norris faced an unexpected exit. Mercedes and McLaren opted for medium tires for their first runs in Q1, while most others immediately used soft tires. Verstappen quickly established himself as the frontrunner.
Alex Albon, who had an impressive second-place finish in FP3, found his Williams car feeling quite different in qualifying, possibly due to the drop in temperature since practice. However, he managed to secure a spot in Q2.
Meanwhile, Daniel Ricciardo benefited from a tow from his teammate Tsunoda, who would start the Grand Prix from the back due to multiple engine and gearbox component changes. This assistance helped Ricciardo achieve the third-fastest time, following his fellow countryman in the McLaren of Oscar Piastri.
Unfortunately, it was a challenging session for Norris, who lost control during his initial timed lap on soft tires. He couldn't make another attempt as yellow flags were waved when Fernando Alonso spun unexpectedly at Turn 3.
As a result, Norris, who had consistently finished on the podium in the last four Grands Prix, was eliminated from qualifying. Esteban Ocon, Kevin Magnussen, Lance Stroll, and Logan Sargeant also failed to advance to the next stage. The stewards announced that they would be investigating several drivers, including Verstappen, Hamilton, and Russell, for possible infringements after the session concluded.
Drivers knocked out: Ocon, Magnussen, Stroll, Sargeant, and Norris.
Q2[]
In the second qualifying session (Q2), Hamilton set the pace, while Ricciardo and Bottas continued to impress, securing spots in the final part of qualifying.
Verstappen maintained his excellent performance in Mexico, topping the times after the first runs on soft tires. However, Albon faced a challenging session as he initially found himself in the drop zone. He managed to sneak into the top 10 with his final run, only to have his lap invalidated a few minutes later for exceeding track limits at Turn 2. As a result, he will start from 14th place on the grid. This turn of events promoted Zhou into the top 10 shootout, making it two Alfa Romeo cars in Q3. Ferrari's Carlos Sainz also made it into the final round of qualifying, despite struggling to improve after locking up on his final run.
Drivers knocked out: Gasly, Hulkenberg, Alonso, Albon, and Tsunoda.
Q3[]
A wave of surprise swept through the Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez as Charles Leclerc secured provisional pole position for Ferrari, with his teammate Carlos Sainz just narrowly trailing in third place.
Max Verstappen, who had been the dominant force throughout the weekend, made a critical error in the middle sector, hitting the Turn 8 curb hard and prompting his team to inspect his car's floor for damage.
When the trio headed out for their final runs, neither of the Ferrari drivers managed to improve their lap times. Fortunately for them, Verstappen couldn't find the extra time needed to overtake either of the red Ferraris, granting Ferrari their first front-row lockout since the 2022 Monaco Grand Prix.
Leclerc expressed his surprise over the team radio after posting the leading time, while Sainz mentioned that it was the first time he had put together a strong lap all weekend.
Verstappen settled for third place, the same position from which he won the 2021 Mexico City Grand Prix. He was followed by Daniel Ricciardo, who consistently performed well in the top five throughout qualifying, and Sergio Pérez in the second Red Bull.
Mercedes chose to use used tires for their first runs but couldn't improve enough on fresh rubber to challenge for the top two rows. Lewis Hamilton secured the sixth position, while George Russell finished in eighth place.
Oscar Piastri claimed seventh place, marking the second time in the last 11 races that McLaren didn't have a car inside the top six. Valtteri Bottas was unable to replicate his earlier form in qualifying, where he had flirted with the top six, ultimately finishing ninth, ahead of his teammate Guanyu Zhou.
Qualifying Results[]
The full qualifying results for the 2023 Mexico City Grand Prix are outlined below:
| Pos. | No. | Driver | Team | Q1 | Q2 | Q3 | Grid |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Time | Time | Time | |||||
| 1 | 16 | Charles Leclerc
|
Ferrari
|
1:18.401 | 1:17.901 | 1:17.166 | 1 |
| 2 | 55 | Carlos Sainz, Jr.
|
Ferrari
|
1:18.755 | 1:18.382 | 1:17.233 | 2 |
| 3 | 1 | Max Verstappen
|
Red Bull Racing-Honda RBPT
|
1:18.099 | 1:17.625 | 1:17.263 | 3 |
| 4 | 3 | Daniel Ricciardo
|
AlphaTauri-Honda RBPT
|
1:18.341 | 1:17.706 | 1:17.382 | 4 |
| 5 | 11 | Sergio Pérez
|
Red Bull Racing-Honda RBPT
|
1:18.553 | 1:18.124 | 1:17.423 | 5 |
| 6 | 44 | Lewis Hamilton
|
Mercedes
|
1:18.677 | 1:17.571 | 1:17.454 | 6 |
| 7 | 81 | Oscar Piastri
|
McLaren-Mercedes
|
1:18.241 | 1:17.874 | 1:17.623 | 7 |
| 8 | 63 | George Russell
|
Mercedes
|
1:18.893 | 1:17.673 | 1:17.674 | 8 |
| 9 | 77 | Valtteri Bottas
|
Alfa Romeo-Ferrari
|
1:18.429 | 1:18.016 | 1:18.032 | 9 |
| 10 | 24 | Zhou Guanyu
|
Alfa Romeo-Ferrari
|
1:19.016 | 1:18.440 | 1:18.050 | 10 |
| 11 | 10 | Pierre Gasly
|
Alpine-Renault
|
1:18.945 | 1:18.521 | N/A | 11 |
| 12 | 27 | Nico Hülkenberg
|
Haas-Ferrari
|
1:18.969 | 1:18.524 | N/A | 12 |
| 13 | 14 | Fernando Alonso
|
Aston Martin-Mercedes
|
1:18.848 | 1:18.738 | N/A | 13 |
| 14 | 23 | Alexander Albon
|
Williams-Mercedes
|
1:18.828 | 1:19.147 | N/A | 14 |
| 15 | 22 | Yuki Tsunoda
|
AlphaTauri-Honda RBPT
|
1:18.890 | No Time | N/A | 18[6] |
| 16 | 31 | Esteban Ocon
|
Alpine-Renault
|
1:19.080 | N/A | N/A | 15 |
| 17 | 20 | Kevin Magnussen
|
Haas-Ferrari
|
1:19.163 | N/A | N/A | 16 |
| 18 | 18 | Lance Stroll
|
Aston Martin-Mercedes
|
1:19.227 | N/A | N/A | PL[7] |
| 19 | 4 | Lando Norris
|
McLaren-Mercedes
|
1:21.554 | N/A | N/A | 17 |
| 107% Time: 1:23.565 | |||||||
| NC | 2 | Logan Sargeant
|
Williams-Mercedes
|
No Time | N/A | N/A | 19[8][9] |
| Source:[10] | |||||||
- Bold indicates the fastest driver's time in each session.
Grid[]
The starting grid of the 2023 Mexico City Grand Prix is as below:
| Pos. | Pos. | |
|---|---|---|
| Driver | Driver | |
| ______________ | ||
| Row 1 | 1 | ______________ |
| 16. Leclerc
|
2 | |
| ______________ | 55. Sainz
| |
| Row 2 | 3 | ______________ |
| 1. Verstappen
|
4 | |
| ______________ | 3. Ricciardo
| |
| Row 3 | 5 | ______________ |
| 11. Pérez
|
6 | |
| ______________ | 44. Hamilton
| |
| Row 4 | 7 | ______________ |
| 81. Piastri
|
8 | |
| ______________ | 63. Russell
| |
| Row 5 | 9 | ______________ |
| 77. Bottas
|
10 | |
| ______________ | 24. Zhou
| |
| Row 6 | 11 | ______________ |
| 10. Gasly
|
12 | |
| ______________ | 27. Hülkenberg
| |
| Row 7 | 13 | ______________ |
| 14. Alonso
|
14 | |
| ______________ | 23. Albon
| |
| Row 8 | 15 | ______________ |
| 31. Ocon
|
16 | |
| ______________ | 20. Magnussen
| |
| Row 9 | 17 | ______________ |
| 4. Norris
|
18 | |
| ______________ | 22. Tsunoda[6]
| |
| Row 10 | 19 | ______________ |
| 2. Sargeant[8][9]
|
20 | |
| ______________ | 18. Stroll[7] |
Grid Penalty[]
- Yuki Tsunoda started the Grand Prix from the back of the grid as he exceeded the maximum power unit parts allocation.[6]
- Logan Sargeant was unable to set a lap time within 107% time, but was allowed to start the Grand Prix by stewards' decision.[8]
- Logan Sargeant received a ten-place grid penalty as he was unable to follow the rules under yellow flag condition at turn 3 during first segment of qualifying[9]
- Lance Stroll required to start from the pit lane due to making modification to his car after Parc Ferme conditions.[7]
Race[]
Report[]
Results[]
The full results for the 2023 Mexico City Grand Prix are outlined below:
Notes[]
- Valtteri Bottas originally finished 14th, but had received a 5-second time penalty as he caused a collision with Lance Stroll between turn 13 and turn 14 under race. [11]
- Logan Sargeant and Lance Stroll were classified as they had completed more than 90% of the race distance.
Milestones[]
- Max Verstappen
- 51st career victory, equaling previous record held by Alain Prost
- 16th career victory in 2023, breaking his previous record of winning 15 races in 2022.
- 22th career pole position of Charles Leclerc
- 200th career Grand Prix of Nico Hülkenberg
- 110th victory for Red Bull Racing
- 250th pole position for Ferrari as an engine supplier
- 18th victory for Honda RBPT as an engine supplier
- Maiden point-scoring finish of Daniel Ricciardo as a driver for Scuderia AlphaTauri
Standings[]
Only point-scoring drivers are shown. |
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References[]
Images and Videos:
References:
- ↑ 2023 Mexico City Grand Prix - Entry List (PDF). Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile.
- ↑ "The five rookie drivers set to take part in FP1 at the Mexico City GP". 27 October 2023. https://www.formula1.com/en/latest/article.the-five-rookie-drivers-set-to-take-part-in-fp1-at-the-mexico-city-gp.Z4YTOEPIuAxQlFLWs5lKb.html. Retrieved 27 October 2023.
- ↑ 2023 Mexico City Grand Prix - FP1 Classification (PDF). Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile.
- ↑ 2023 Mexico City Grand Prix - FP2 Classification (PDF). Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile.
- ↑ 2023 Mexico City Grand Prix - FP3 Classification (PDF). Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile.
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 6.2 2023 Mexico City Grand Prix - Infringement - Car 22 - PU Elements and RNC Changes (PDF). Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile.
- ↑ 7.0 7.1 7.2 2023 Mexico City Grand Prix - Infringement - Car 18 - Changes made during Parc Ferme (PDF). Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile.
- ↑ 8.0 8.1 8.2 2023 Mexico City Grand Prix - Decision - Car 2 - Failing to set a lap time within 107% (PDF). Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile.
- ↑ 9.0 9.1 9.2 2023 Mexico City Grand Prix - Infringement - Car 2 - Overtaking under Yellow Flags (PDF). Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile.
- ↑ 2023 Mexico City Grand Prix - Final Qualifying Classification (PDF). Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile.
- ↑ 11.0 11.1 2023 Mexico City Grand Prix - Infringement - Car 77 - Causing a collision (PDF). Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile.
- ↑ 2023 Mexico City Grand Prix - Final Race Classification (PDF). Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile.
| v·d·e | Nominate this page for Featured Article |
| V T E | Mexican Grand Prix / Mexico City Grand Prix
|
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|---|---|---|
| Circuits | Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez (1963-1970, 1986-1992, 2015-present) |  |
| Races (Mexican GP) | 1963 • 1964 • 1965 • 1966 • 1967 • 1968 • 1969 • 1970 • 1971–1985 • 1986 • 1987 • 1988 • 1989 • 1990 • 1991 • 1992 • 1993–2014 • 2015 • 2016 • 2017 • 2018 • 2019 | |
| Races (Mexico City GP) | ||
| Non-Championship Races | 1962 |