Just five Grand Prix of the 2024 World Racing Championship remain after a fantastic weekend in the United States, with the sport returning to its traditional format at the Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez for the Mexican GP this weekend.
Max Verstappen managed to extend his lead in the drivers’ championship at COTA, now 57 points ahead of the McLaren of Lando Norris, following intervention from the FIA that led to a dramatic conclusion at the US GP. Meanwhile, Verstappen’s teammate, Sergio Perez, only managed a P7 finish, with the Mexican hoping for a better weekend in front of his adoring home crowd.
Sunday’s race will kick off at 1 pm local time (CST) in less sunny conditions, with temperatures expected to hit 19 degrees Celsius for lights out.
There is less than a five percent chance of rain at the start of the race, but this currently increases to around 6 percent as the afternoon progresses, meaning teams may have to strategize around potential wet conditions before the chequered flag.
The Mexico City race has been a staple in Formula 1 since 2015 when the circuit was brought back after a 21-year hiatus. Only three drivers have won the eight races since, as the GP was canceled in 2020, but we wonder if this weekend will bring forth a new champion.
2024 Mexican GP Betting Odds and Info
Charles Leclerc 3.75 |
Lando Norris 3.75 |
Max Verstappen 4.5 |
Carlos Sainz 9.23 |
Oscar Piastri 11.3 |
Lewis Hamilton 22 |
George Russell 22 |
Sergio Perez 50 |
Kevin Magnussen 500 |
Nico Hulkenberg 500 |
Fernando Alonso 500 |
Franco Colapinto 750 |
Alex Albon 750 |
Pierre Gasly 1000 |
Yuki Tsunoda 1000 |
Liam Lawson 1000 |
Esteban Ocon 1000 |
Lance Stroll 1500 |
Valtteri Bottas 3000 |
Zhou Guanyu 5000 |
When? | Sunday, October 27 at 2:00 pm ET, 1:00 pm CST (Mexico City Time), noon MT, and 11:00 am MT |
Where? | Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez at Mexico City |
Where can I watch it? | ESPN |
Race Preview
The Weekend could prove critical for both championships, given Ferrari’s unpredicted success at the Circuit of the Americas last weekend.
They took home maximum points and finished 1-2, with Charles Leclerc leading Carlos Sainz.
However, there are expectations that the tide might swing towards Red Bull and Max Verstappen, given their prowess at the track after winning the three previous editions of the Mexico City Grand Prix.
What to expect from the local: Sergio Perez Report
Red Bull Driver Sergio Perez stated that he was confident he would be in the sport next year, amidst reports of him retiring from F1 after his home race at the Mexico City Grand Prix.
However, the last few seasons have been quite a trip for the Mexican Driver. Despite having the best year of his career, statistically, in 2023, coming second in the drivers’ championship to his teammate, and helping his team to two consecutive constructors’ titles, Sergio Perez has consistently underperformed over the last two seasons relative to the potential of his car.
Verstappen dominated for much of that time and continued to score podiums even when Red Bull was caught by rivals. However, Perez has been nowhere in comparison to his world-champion teammate.
Although he signed a contract extension with his team earlier in the year, that has done little to boost his on-track production. Over the months, Perez’s lack of points compared to Verstappen has seen Red Bull lose the lead in the constructors’ championship. That’s something that seemed unfathomable in the early phase of the season as the team dominated.
We need to point out that Red Bull has had its best times with Sergio, as Verstappen has very specific details about the way he drives and wants his vehicle. Any other pilot has had a horrible time getting used to his specifications.
That is why Red Bull had to opt out of the previous drivers who came to take the spot. Still, Checo managed to adapt to a vehicle customized to allow his teammate to shine. However, this F1 season, he mentioned that the car was doing way worse for him than in previous years.
Checo’s present
With Verstappen also lowering his performance, Sergio’s words had more weight. The Dutchman has been unable to conquer podiums as he previously had, shining a new light on Checo’s claims, and the team has given him credit, now working on fixing the mess they are in.
This time, Perez will want to put on a better showing than last year, when he was eliminated from the race at the first corner after clashing with Charles Leclerc.
It is necessary to remind the team why he is needed, as they require someone capable of working and achieving points with a vehicle made up to Verstappen’s strengths, and that is hard to find.
2024 Mexican GP Betting Picks
Max Verstappen to recover and regain the top of the podium.
Charles Leclerc to get the 2nd spot, keeping things on track after Ferrari’s recent victory.
Sergio Perez to make a comeback at home, reaching the 3rd place on the podium and making a statement.
Carlos Sainz is right behind the podium winners.