Qualifying for the Mexico City Grand Prix will run in dry, warm and sunny conditions. The variable is wind, not rain: GPFans forecasts gusts of up to 17mph at qualifying time. Qualifying starts at 15:00 local on Saturday (21:00 UTC), and the race starts at 14:00 local on Sunday (20:00 UTC).
Qualifying: 27°C, dry, gusts of 17mph
GPFans first published its forecast on 29 October and updated it on 31 October. It puts Saturday's FP3 (11:30 local) at around 22°C, with temperatures rising five degrees to 27°C when qualifying begins at 15:00. It describes warm temperatures and dry running for both sessions. Saturday will be gustier than the days before, with gusts of up to 17mph expected at qualifying time. No rain percentage was given for Saturday.
Sky Sports paints the same picture: similar to Austin, another dry and hot weekend with no rain forecast in Mexico City and temperatures reaching 27C for qualifying and the race. Neither outlet is planning for a wet track in qualifying.
Race: 3% chance of rain, gusts of 19mph
Sunday's race starts at 14:00 local. GPFans says race day is forecast to be a sunny affair like the previous two days, with temperatures again peaking at 27°C and a 3% chance of rain in Mexico City, so wet or intermediate tyres are unlikely. Wind is expected to peak at gusts of 19mph, slightly stronger than for qualifying (17mph).
Session times
| Session | Local (Mexico City) | UK/UTC | Korea (KST) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Qualifying | Sat 31 Oct, 15:00 | 21:00 | Sun 1 Nov, 06:00 |
| Race | Sun 1 Nov, 14:00 | 20:00 | Mon 2 Nov, 05:00 |
UK times are as given by Sky Sports (qualifying 9pm, race 8pm) and local times as given by GPFans; the KST column is converted from those.
What it means
Kimi Antonelli can clinch the title this weekend; earlier reports say a finish in ninth or better in the race would make him champion. With no rain expected, qualifying order should carry into the race, though Max Verstappen and Liam Lawson start with a one-place grid penalty after their FP2 collision. This piece summarises the forecasts only; there is no qualifying result yet, and forecasts can change.