F1 Mexican Grand Prix: The Last Five Winners in Mexico City

It's the second leg of the American triple-header, and we're returning to the Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez for the 2026 Formula 1 Mexican Grand Prix. 

Winning a race here is quite the challenge, especially with Mexico City sitting approximately 2,240 meters above sea level. The thin air affects the cars' aerodynamic downforce and drag, making the practice sessions more valuable for the drivers to get used to the changes.

Moreover, the run into Turn 1 is relatively longer than most circuits on the calendar, giving drivers plenty of opportunities to overtake. In fact, two of the last five winners of the Mexican GP started from third on the grid.

Red Bull's Max Verstappen owns the fastest qualifying lap in Mexico City, when he set a time of 1:14.758 during the 2019 Mexican Grand Prix.  

Meanwhile, then Mercedes driver Valtteri Bottas set the fastest race lap here, with a time of 1:17.774 on Lap 69 of the 2021 Mexican GP. 

Typically, drivers complete 71 laps around the Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez to take the checkered flag in Mexico City.

Norris may have fallen out of championship contention this season, but he had plenty of good memories in Mexico City last year. The McLaren driver started from pole, although the long run to Turn 1 brought Verstappen and Ferrari drivers Charles Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton into the fight.

But Norris judged the corner well and retained his lead. He cruised to the win that afternoon, building a commanding gap of more than 30 seconds over Leclerc in second and Verstappen in third. 

Sainz had an excellent qualifying on Saturday, beating Verstappen for pole position. However, he lost the lead to Verstappen in that long run to Turn 1 on the opening lap. But the Spanish driver stayed close and moved past Verstappen on Lap 9 to reclaim the lead.

This race was more known for the Verstappen-Norris battle towards the end, which resulted in two 10-second penalties for the former. But this was also a memorable one for Sainz, who secured his final victory as a Ferrari driver. 

Ferrari locked out the front row in qualifying, with Verstappen starting in third. But again, the long run to Turn 1 became Verstappen's advantage, as he used the slipstream to seize the lead from the two Ferrari drivers. 

A Kevin Magnussen crash brought out the red flag around the middle of the race, but Verstappen stayed strong on his hard tyres. He won the race by more than 13 seconds over Hamilton.

Verstappen qualified for pole in 2022, started on the soft tyres, and managed his lead well. He switched to medium tyres for his second stint, which was enough to hold off the two Mercedes drivers behind.

It was a straightforward race for Verstappen, who efficiently executed the one-stop strategy.

Verstappen started third again, behind the two Mercedes drivers (Hamilton and Bottas). The slipstream was effective into Turn 1, as the Dutchman swept around the outside to take the lead. He controlled the race and won by more than 16 seconds over Hamilton.

Verstappen's teammate, Sergio Perez, also gave the Mexican crowd much to cheer for. Perez crossed the line in third place, becoming the first Mexican to finish on the podium at his home race.

Kimi Antonelli may have won the last race in Austin, but Max Verstappen is still the specialist around here. The Red Bull driver has already won five races in Mexico City. Plus, this is a circuit that rewards straight-line speed, especially in that long run to Turn 1. Verstappen's experience, along with his car's pace, makes Red Bull the favorites heading into this year's Mexican Grand Prix.