F1 Mexican Grand Prix: Reviewing the Last Five Champions in Mexico City

Recap of Recent Winners at the Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez

The Formula 1 Mexican Grand Prix returns to the Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez as part of the 2026 American triple-header. Racing here is demanding due to Mexico City's altitude, sitting around 2,240 meters above sea level. The thin air changes how cars handle aerodynamics, making practice sessions crucial for drivers to adapt.

The track’s long approach into Turn 1 offers many overtaking chances. Interestingly, two of the last five winners began the race from third position on the grid.

Fastest Laps in Mexico City

• Fastest qualifying lap: Max Verstappen from Red Bull, clocking 1:14.758 in the 2019 Mexican GP.
• Fastest race lap: Valtteri Bottas with Mercedes, timing 1:17.774 on Lap 69 during the 2021 event.
• Race distance: Generally, the Mexican GP covers 71 laps around the circuit.

Last Five Winners of the Mexican Grand Prix

• 2025 - Lando Norris (McLaren): Starting from pole, Norris defended well against Verstappen and Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton in the long sprint to Turn 1. He secured a dominant victory, finishing over 30 seconds ahead of Leclerc.
• 2024 - Carlos Sainz Jr. (Ferrari): Sainz took pole by edging out Verstappen but lost the lead on the first lap. He regained it on Lap 9 and maintained control despite a fierce battle between Verstappen and Norris that resulted in penalties for Verstappen. This was Sainz’s last win with Ferrari.
• 2023 - Max Verstappen (Red Bull): Although Ferrari locked the front row, Verstappen started third and used the slipstream on the lengthy run to Turn 1 to take the lead. A red flag from Kevin Magnussen’s crash interrupted the race, but Verstappen stayed strong on hard tires and finished more than 13 seconds ahead of Hamilton.
• 2022 - Max Verstappen (Red Bull): Qualifying on pole, Verstappen began on soft tires and managed his lead carefully. Switching to medium tires later was enough to hold off Mercedes drivers, executing a clean one-stop strategy for victory.
• 2021 - Max Verstappen (Red Bull): Starting third behind Mercedes’ Hamilton and Bottas, Verstappen used the slipstream to pass them into Turn 1 and led comfortably to win by over 16 seconds. His teammate Sergio Perez thrilled local fans by finishing third, becoming the first Mexican on the podium at this home race.

Looking Ahead to 2026

Kimi Antonelli may have claimed the latest win in Austin, but Max Verstappen remains the master of Mexico City with five victories here. This circuit favors straight-line speed, especially on the long run to Turn 1, where Verstappen’s skill and Red Bull’s pace give them the edge as favorites for this year’s Mexican Grand Prix.