F1 Mexico Grand Prix 2021 LIVE! - Race updates, latest news, overtakes, strategies, TV channel today

F1 Mexico City Grand Prix 2021 LIVE!

Formula One is in Mexico for another huge race to the world title.

Max Verstappen leads Lewis Hamilton by 12 points with five races left of the 2021 season, but does start third and a place behind the Mercedes ace on this occasion.

The Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez was meant to be a big Red Bull circuit yet the Mercs locked out the front row in qualifying with Valtteri Bottas on pole.

Home favourite Sergio Perez will hope to make an impact from fourth on the grid, while Pierre Gasly starts fifth and is in the mix with Honda power as well for the long drag down to Turn 1 off the start.

Red Bull are also out to hunt down Mercedes in the Constructors’ Championship, which the Brackley crew lead by 23 points.

With lights out at 7pm GMT, join us for all the latest updates from Mexico City...

Read More

Mexican Grand Prix 2021: Valtteri Bottas takes pole with Lewis Hamilton completing Mercedes front-row lockout

Mexico City Grand Prix 2021: Race start time UK, qualifying results and how can I watch F1 on TV?

Everything you need to know ahead of the race

• Start time: 7pm GMT | Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez

• How can I watch live in the UK?

• Starting grid

• Will there be rain in Mexico City?

Here’s how the 2021 Mexico City GP finished up:

Sunday 7 November 2021 21:29 , Marc Mayo

Sunday 7 November 2021 21:26 , Marc Mayo

Hard to argue with that...

Sunday 7 November 2021 21:20 , Marc Mayo

More from Hamilton, who once again remarks that Perez being on his tail shows how good the Red Bull is.

He tells Sky F1: “I started second and finished second so I can’t complain. I feel like I got a good start and maximised what I had.

“But jeez they had such a good car, when Checo’s on your tail you know their car is quick.

“We’ve got four races to go but we have to keep pushing. All I can do is keep trying to squeeze everything out of this car, they clearly have a stronger car, I just try to make sure we don’t leave any stone unturned and give it my all.”

Sunday 7 November 2021 21:15 , Marc Mayo

Red Bull chief Christian Horner praises Verstappen’s start on Sky F1.

He says: “The most important part was the start, I was surprised [Mercedes] gave him the room and I thought he’d missed his braking.

“From there he controlled the race and it was a very straightforward race for him.

“Max timed it perfectly he got the tow and made it work. On his recon lap he went out and braked like that, so he knew in his mind what he wanted to do.”

Sunday 7 November 2021 21:10 , Marc Mayo

Sunday 7 November 2021 21:08 , Marc Mayo

Verstappen’s lead is up to 19 points with that, with no changes across the overall standings.

That Bottas fastest lap keeps Mercedes top in the Constructors’ Championship, by a single point.

Ferrari have jumped McLaren with a big weekend for the Scuderia, and AlphaTauri are now level with Alpine in fifth.

Sunday 7 November 2021 21:02 , Marc Mayo

Perez’s father is going bonkers in the crowd under the podium, leaping about and waving the Mexican flag as the confetti rains down and the champagne corks are popped.

Verstappen’s Red Bull is parked right in front of the podium - which may take a bit longer to clean this evening!

Sunday 7 November 2021 21:00 , Marc Mayo

A cheer for Verstappen, silence for Hamilton, a huge cheer for Perez as he collects his trophy.

Sunday 7 November 2021 20:58 , Marc Mayo

Red Bull’s Adrian Newey with the three drivers up on the podium, which is flanked by VIP areas and seems to have more people peering up at it than anywhere else.

Sunday 7 November 2021 20:55 , Marc Mayo

Great Britain, the Netherlands and now Mexico get a moment to savour from their hero...

Sunday 7 November 2021 20:53 , Marc Mayo

Here comes the home hero - to a huge cheer from the crowd.

Perez says: “It’s an unbelievable day, obviously I wanted more and the 1-2. We just didn’t get the chance.

“I could actually hear [the fans], it was pretty enjoyable.”

Sunday 7 November 2021 20:51 , Marc Mayo

Verstappen says about the start: “It was all about braking as late as you can, that was basically what made my race.

“We had incredible pace in the car so I could just do my own thing.

“It’s a long way to go [in the title race], it’s looking good but it can turn around very quickly. I’m looking forward to Brazil.”

Sunday 7 November 2021 20:50 , Marc Mayo

Hamilton first up, speaking to David Coulthard by the baseball stadium podium.

He says, “Firstly congratulations to Max, that car was really really fast and there wasn’t much we could do about it.

“It shows how fast their car is when Sergio is that close and able to follow that close behind me.”

Put that one under damning with faint praise...

Sunday 7 November 2021 20:48 , Marc Mayo

Perez and Verstappen are lifted onto the shoulders of their crews to chants of “Ole ole ole ole... Checo, Checo!”.

The Mexican flag gets an airing too, which goes down rather well.

Sunday 7 November 2021 20:46 , Marc Mayo

“Just didn’t have the pace,” Hamilton tells his team. He’s not wrong.

Sunday 7 November 2021 20:44 , Marc Mayo

Perez tells team radio “thank you guys, for winning in my country - time for some tequila!”.

Sunday 7 November 2021 20:43 , Marc Mayo

Bottas also takes fastest lap, so the crumbs of comfort fall for Mercedes...

And the big lovely prizes of a 1-3 finish are Red Bull’s, Verstappen cruising to victory.

Chequered flag!

Sunday 7 November 2021 20:42 , Marc Mayo

Final lap: Verstappen wins! A whopping 16 second victory over Hamilton, who does hold off Perez to take second.

Sunday 7 November 2021 20:41 , Marc Mayo

Final lap: Here we go! Perez tails Hamilton through the final corner and Raikkonen is in the way under blue flags!

But the Red Bull just doesn’t have the pace to make a move on the long straight!

Sunday 7 November 2021 20:40 , Marc Mayo

Lap 70/71: In our favourite subplot, Bottas pits again and is held for a few seconds so he can attempt fastest lap without Verstappen in his way!

Sunday 7 November 2021 20:39 , Marc Mayo

Lap 69/71: We have a one second gap now between second and third...

Meanwhile no fastest lap for Bottas yet, who has stumbled over Verstappen and had to slow down under blue flags after un-lapping himself.

Sunday 7 November 2021 20:38 , Marc Mayo

Lap 68/71: Perez has cooled his car down and may be preparing for a final lunge, starting the next lap 1.3 seconds behind.

Sunday 7 November 2021 20:35 , Marc Mayo

Lap 66/71: That gap between Hamilton and Perez is up to two seconds.

Verstappen is 19.2 seconds clear, for those counting.

Sunday 7 November 2021 20:34 , Marc Mayo

Lap 65/71: Bottas pits for Soft tyres, to nab the fastest lap point off Verstappen.

Sunday 7 November 2021 20:33 , Marc Mayo

Lap 64/71: Perez is back to just over a second away, but Hamilton says his car is “overheating” and begins to lift off and coast into corners.

Sunday 7 November 2021 20:31 , Marc Mayo

Lap 63/71: Hamilton is pouring all his engine and battery power into that start/finish straight, which is the only real overtaking spot unless you’re miles quicker than the car ahead.

For now, the Red Bull isn’t quite at that level.

Sunday 7 November 2021 20:29 , Marc Mayo

Lap 62/71: Up the start/finish straight, Perez has a look but is too far back to attempt an overtake.

Norris finally gets the blue flags and slips back going into Turn 4.

Sunday 7 November 2021 20:27 , Marc Mayo

Lap 61/71: Traffic in front with Norris and Alonso to be lapped by these two.

Perez is within one second, Hamilton says his tyres are “giving up” and that he “can’t get close” to the McLaren in tenth.

Sunday 7 November 2021 20:26 , Marc Mayo

Lap 60/71: Perez even has time to joke over team radio after being told his tyres and battery are good. “Engine good?” he wryly asks back.

The fans are right behind him for this one.

Sunday 7 November 2021 20:25 , Marc Mayo

Lap 59/71: Here comes Sergio...

Perez is 1.5 seconds behind Hamilton. This one might be over quickly.

Sunday 7 November 2021 20:23 , Marc Mayo

Lap 57/71: Stroll jumps Russell for 15th, the Brit not having the best time of it since that jump in the field on Lap 1.

Sunday 7 November 2021 20:21 , Marc Mayo

Lap 56/71: We have 15 laps to go and 3.2 seconds behind Hamilton in second and Perez in third.

Ferrari ask Leclerc to let Sainz through into fifth and challenge Gasly, who is 33 seconds behind Perez and nine ahead of Leclerc. Custhy.

Sunday 7 November 2021 20:18 , Marc Mayo

Lap 54/71: Verstappen takes the fastest lap and a potential extra point in the title race.

That’s just a 13.2 second lead he has in the bank.

Sunday 7 November 2021 20:17 , Marc Mayo

Lap 52/71: This Perez overtake on Hamilton is very possible but turbulent air off the Merc and his own Hards dropping off may make it a tough pass.

Hamilton asks “you guys still there?” to his team over radio. Not much to report Lewis, just drive.

Sunday 7 November 2021 20:14 , Marc Mayo

Lap 50/71: Perez puts in a fastest lap, half a second quicker than the last. Six seconds is the gap.

Sunday 7 November 2021 20:10 , Marc Mayo

Lap 48/71: Timesheet check - Verstappen has 12.1 seconds on Hamilton, who has 6.9 seconds on Perez.

Only one of those gaps is falling... (hint: it isn’t the one to first).

Sunday 7 November 2021 20:08 , Marc Mayo

Lap 46/71: An engine penalty meant Norris started 18th and the young Brit was up in seventh by the time he pits, and the Hards are on for him to come out tenth.

A points finish is on the cards, with Alonso and Raikkonen potentially catchable ahead.

Sunday 7 November 2021 20:05 , Marc Mayo

Lap 45/71: Perez takes fastest lap off Hamilton.

Almost all the stops are done now as Sainz pits to drop back to sixth, releasing Gasly into fourth and Leclerc fifth.

Sunday 7 November 2021 20:03 , Marc Mayo

Lap 43/71: Bottas pits from 11th and there is a problem getting his front-left on. That’s almost a 12-second stop and the Finn is back out in 15th.

When it rains, it pours.

Sunday 7 November 2021 20:01 , Marc Mayo

Lap 41/71: Verstappen is back in front with Perez coming in.

The Hards go on nice and quickly, the Mexican comes out third and a good 9.1 seconds behind Hamilton.

Sunday 7 November 2021 20:00 , Marc Mayo

Lap 40/71: Ricciardo’s Hard tyres last 36 laps and that releases Bottas into 11th after a long battle.

That’s a good pointer for those who have just pitted, and suggests they should get through comfortably on a one-stopper.

Verstappen is now within four seconds of Perez.

Sunday 7 November 2021 19:57 , Marc Mayo

Lap 39/71: Perez (first), Sainz (fourth), Alonso (seventh) and Norris (eighth) the only runners yet to pit.

Sunday 7 November 2021 19:56 , Marc Mayo

Lap 37/71: “Tyres are getting good,” says Perez. Fair enough.

Hamilton is nudging towards Verstappen, the gap now at 6.8 seconds.

Sunday 7 November 2021 19:53 , Marc Mayo

Lap 35/71: Perez is the new leader - as he stays out without pitting for now.

That “plan B” mentioned earlier could involve a very long first stint, although he would be well behind Hamilton if he was to come out now. Maybe that covers off the Merc’s potential for two-stopper, at least.

Sunday 7 November 2021 19:51 , Marc Mayo

Lap 34/71: Hamilton told he’s 4.4 seconds “safe” over Perez via team radio, which makes him around eight behind Verstappen.

Here comes the Dutchman for his stop. Red Bull are swift and away goes the leader...

Sunday 7 November 2021 19:49 , Marc Mayo

Lap 33/71: A 1:19.953 from Hamilton smashes the fastest lap, Perez may have missed his chance for the overcut with those sort of times on the board.

Sunday 7 November 2021 19:47 , Marc Mayo

Lap 32/71: Leclerc pits after one lap and Hamilton’s hold-up is minimal, with Perez still out.

Sunday 7 November 2021 19:46 , Marc Mayo

Lap 31/71: Scratch that, Hard tyres are out for Hamilton!

Perez stays out and a clean stop for Mercedes puts him out behind Leclerc, in fifth!

Sunday 7 November 2021 19:45 , Marc Mayo

Lap 30/71: Pit stops appear a few laps away still, Hamilton is told to “plus six” to his first stint strategy.

Sunday 7 November 2021 19:44 , Marc Mayo

Lap 28/71: Pole-sitter Bottas is still stuck behind Ricciardo in 12th, with plenty of pressure being put on the Aussie.

Don’t think the Finn’s job is over for today, Mercedes need every point they can get in the Constructors’ Championship.

Sunday 7 November 2021 19:43 , Marc Mayo

Lap 27/71: Perez takes over 0.4 seconds off Hamilton but has not yet been able to trouble DRS distance - that’s activated at one second.

Sunday 7 November 2021 19:38 , Marc Mayo

Lap 24/71: “These guys are too fast for us,” Hamilton tells Mercedes.

Perez is told to “step up” with just 2.2 seconds separating them, with Verstappen 8.4 seconds ahead and way out in front.

Sunday 7 November 2021 19:37 , Marc Mayo

Lap 23/71: In case you missed it, here is how Tsunoda’s race came to an end on the first lap.

Sunday 7 November 2021 19:34 , Marc Mayo

Lap 21/71: In fourth, five seconds ahead of Leclerc and ten behind Perez, Gasly is getting settled into a very boring yet very productive race.

Sunday 7 November 2021 19:31 , Marc Mayo

Lap 19/71: Perez told “plan B” over team radio, perhaps a two-stopper to lure Hamilton into protecting second, rather than looking ahead to Verstappen? Red Bull have the leverage.

Sunday 7 November 2021 19:30 , Marc Mayo

Lap 18/71: Perez is now within 1.8 seconds of Hamilton.

Midfield pit stops coming thick and fast, for those starting on the Soft tyre. Ricciardo and Bottas have jumped to 11th and 12th, having both pitted, in that - ahead of Russell, Giovinazzi and Co.

Sunday 7 November 2021 19:27 , Marc Mayo

Lap 16/71: Hamilton tells team radio: “Tyres dropping off massively.”

No pit stops expected from the frontrunners for about ten laps. Any strategy magic from the Mercs may also be held back by Perez, who is close enough to steal second if a plan backfires.

The Mexican tells Red Bull his tyres are getting “better”...

Sunday 7 November 2021 19:24 , Marc Mayo

Lap 14/71: Stroll pits and holds off Latifi for 17th as he looks for some life in his race.

Hamilton now 4.6 seconds off Verstappen. Ominous, but there is a long way to go and maybe, just maybe, Mercedes have an answer.

Sunday 7 November 2021 19:22 , Marc Mayo

Lap 13/71: A whopping 372,000 fans have come through the door over this weekend. The Mexicans always do themselves proud in F1.

Sunday 7 November 2021 19:20 , Marc Mayo

Lap 11/71: Time check up top - Verstappen is putting half a second on Hamilton every lap, with the gap now at 3.2 seconds after a fastest lap.

But it’s not all bad for Mercedes, Hamilton has a further three seconds on Perez.

Sunday 7 November 2021 19:19 , Marc Mayo

Lap 10/71: Looking good for Ferrari with no McLarens in the points, and fifth and sixth under wraps for Leclerc and Sainz.

Russell meanwhile is fighting Alonso for tenth after losing out to Raikkonen.

Sunday 7 November 2021 19:16 , Marc Mayo

Lap 8/71: “He’s quick,” Hamilton delivers the Captain Obvious Statement of the Year over team radio.

He was talking about Verstappen, for the record.

Sunday 7 November 2021 19:15 , Marc Mayo

Lap 7/71: Stroll almost collects Ricciardo at Turn 4 before getting the job done following a trip across the grass, that’s for 16th.

Verstappen has 2.1 seconds over Hamilton.

Sunday 7 November 2021 19:12 , Marc Mayo

Lap 5/71: Verstappen races clear of Hamilton at the restart, Perez third and not troubling the Brit behind.

Sunday 7 November 2021 19:11 , Marc Mayo

Safety car coming in...

Sunday 7 November 2021 19:09 , Marc Mayo

Russell up SEVEN places in that mayhem, to ninth. Mazepin up four to 11th...

Sunday 7 November 2021 19:08 , Marc Mayo

Tsunoda bounced over Ocon as the Frenchman got sandwiched, ending his race.

Sunday 7 November 2021 19:06 , Marc Mayo

Outstanding start from Verstappen, who glided around the outside of a Merc wall and took the lead.

Bottas is at the back of the pack and Ricciardo pits too after tangling with the Finn.

Safety car!

Sunday 7 November 2021 19:05 , Marc Mayo

Tsunoda and Schumacher are out.

Lights out!

Sunday 7 November 2021 19:04 , Marc Mayo

A very slow grid finally forms up and Verstappen leads, Bottas spins!

Away we go for 71 laps...

Sunday 7 November 2021 19:00 , Marc Mayo

The formation lap is underway...

Reminder!

Sunday 7 November 2021 18:55 , Marc Mayo

How to watch: The race will be shown LIVE on Sky Sports’ Main Event and F1 channels.

Sunday 7 November 2021 18:51 , Marc Mayo

We’ve had helicopters carrying Mexico flags, the Mexican version of the Red Arrows, and now some super-loud fighter jets fly overhead. Any more for any more?

What will happen off the line?

Sunday 7 November 2021 18:49 , Marc Mayo

The expectation is that Lewis Hamilton will slipstream past Valtteri Bottas to take Turn 1 first, and fly off into the distance with the Finn holding up title rival Max Verstappen.

From a Red Bull perspective, Verstappen will also get a lovely tow with a good jump off the start potentially taking him to Turn 1 first.

However, by the time he has earned that slipstream, the Mercs may be able to stretch themselves across the track and provide a barrier to block the Dutchman off.

And can we count out Sergio Perez? The Mexican will surely be under orders not to overtake Verstappen… But, you never know.

Sunday 7 November 2021 18:44 , Marc Mayo

Right on cue, here is the Mexican national anthem. A jaunty number.

No second guesses for who the big home favourite is today...

Sunday 7 November 2021 18:42 , Marc Mayo

Strategies

Sunday 7 November 2021 18:38 , Marc Mayo

The Medium tyre is about 0.4 seconds slower than the Soft but that is what the frontrunners start on, which has been tipped to run for 50 laps by Pirelli.

Therefore the pit window should open at around 25 laps for a one-stop move onto the Hard.

Those starting on the Softs will likely change over after 17 laps.

A two-stopper may be plausible, particularly for those near the back of the field with pace. That would mean a later change, perhaps at around 40 laps for another set of Hards.

Sunday 7 November 2021 18:32 , Marc Mayo

Just about half an hour until the race starts, with the sun shining on the Mexico City grid.

Keeping an eye on the midfield

Sunday 7 November 2021 18:25 , Marc Mayo

What’s occurring further down the pack today? Well, a huge battle for third in the Constructors Championship, for a start.

Daniel Ricciardo’s McLaren is perched in between the two Ferrari cars in sixth to eighth.

The Scuderia are just 3.5 points behind McLaren in the standings.

Lando Norris will attempt to launch through the pack from 18th after a grid penalty.

Sunday 7 November 2021 18:19 , Marc Mayo

Get to know the track

Sunday 7 November 2021 18:10 , Marc Mayo

The 2.674-mile Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez sits 7,342 feet above sea level, which serves to reduce the drag cars face down the long start/finish straight.

This will be the 21st year that F1 has travelled to south-eastern Mexico City, having first done so in 1963.

A big track overhaul led to the 17-corner circuit returning to the calendar in 2015 with Jim Clarke, Nigel Mansell, Lewis Hamilton, Max Verstappen and Alain Prost all winning here twice.

The final section, which you can see below, runs through the Foro Sol baseball stadium - where the likes of Madonna, Metallica and Arctic Monkeys have played concerts to crowds as big as 137,000.

Sunday 7 November 2021 18:00 , Marc Mayo

Sunday 7 November 2021 17:55 , Marc Mayo

Lewis Hamilton admitted his ‘shock’ at Mercedes locking out the front row of qualifying yesterday.

He said: “We’re shocked we are on the front row because [Red Bull] have been quicker than us all weekend.

“Half a second, six tenths, and no matter whatever we did to try and improve the car we couldn't really close that gap much. So it's a real shock. I'm grateful though.”

Pole-sitter Valtteri Bottas added: “Everything came together even better than I was expecting.

“It’s a really rewarding feeling that all the changes we made were still in the right direction, stay calm and still try and execute the best out of the car. And it worked.”

Will there be rain?

Sunday 7 November 2021 17:47 , Marc Mayo

In a word, no.

This will be a dry race with zero per cent chance of wet weather forecast for Sunday afternoon in Mexico City.

Temperatures will be around 22°C with little to no wind, mild humidity, and occasional cloud.

Starting Grid

Sunday 7 November 2021 17:40 , Marc Mayo

How to watch

Sunday 7 November 2021 17:34 , Marc Mayo

TV channel: The race will be shown LIVE on Sky Sports’ Main Event and F1 channels.

Coverage of Grand Prix Sunday starts at 5:30pm on F1, with the race programme beginning at 6:55pm on both channels.

Good evening!

Sunday 7 November 2021 17:33 , Marc Mayo

Welcome to our live blog for the Mexico City Grand Prix.

Lights out is scheduled for 1pm local time, or 7pm GMT.

Before then we’ll fill you in all everything you need to know ahead of another huge race for the title.