The 19th round of the F1 2026 season will take place this weekend at the Mexican Grand Prix at the Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez.

While Kimi Antonelli winning the world title isn’t a prediction so much as a sure bet, the Mercedes driver won’t win this Sunday’s Grand Prix. So who will win?

A consolation prize for George Russell

By Michelle Foster

George Russell will win the Mexican Grand Prix, but it will mean little in the greater context, as his teammate Kimi Antonelli will be crowned world champion.

The pressure, though, is 100 per cent off Russell’s shoulders.

There is absolutely nothing he can do that will prevent his teammate from winning the title – except, of course, take Antonelli out of the race and then win it himself.

Russell may have told us months ago already that he wasn’t thinking about the title, but, let’s be honest, P2 in the standings, you’re thinking about the title.

This weekend is the first one in which he can think about it all he wants, but it won’t make one iota of difference. And that will make all the difference for Russell.

Having had a few days to come to terms with a reality that is written in stone, lead-pipe cinch and ordained by the F1 gods, Formula 1 will see the best of George Russell at the Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez.

The Briton will win the Grand Prix from pole position.

Unless his Mercedes engine fails…

A breakthrough win for Isack Hadjar

By Mat Coch

Isack Hadjar has been knocking on the door of an F1 win for a little while. There was a podium in Baku and a solid qualifying performance a week ago in Austin. And that came off the back of a tricky three hours of practice.

And perhaps the time has come that the Frenchman chalks up a win.

The Red Bull is tipped to be fast, PlanetF1.com’s tame technical guru, Uros Radovanovic, has crunched the numbers and drawn the graphs, and it looks to be a two horse race.

Ferrari’s straightline speed deficit will hurt while McLaren will suffer in the tight stuff that links them all together. Meanwhile the factory Mercedes team and Red Bull are more well rounded, and will perform among the best both in a straight line and those all-important tight corners.

But with an out-of-sorts George Russell of late, Kimi Antonelli on the verge of greatness and likely to jump aside at the merest hint of front wing up the inside, and that only leaves Max Verstappen to beat.

Okay sure, it doesn’t happen often, but Verstappen’s teammates HAVE beaten him at points.

A competitive Red Bull, an on-song Hadjar, and a four-time world champion teammate showing us he is human after all? Cue La Marseillaise.

George Russell to lose P2 to Max Verstappen

By Henry Valantine

George Russell said in Austin that any place other than top spot in the standings is ultimately immaterial to him, as long as the Constructors’ title is secured. However, there must be a part of him surely thinking he has to at least finish second in what was a clear two-horse race at the start of the year?

He’s in danger of having what was a stern title challenge ending with a whimper, which few saw coming at the start of this season.

What is also true is that Max Verstappen absolutely loves racing in Mexico.

Where Lewis Hamilton, Jim Clark, Nigel Mansell and Alain Prost have two wins apiece in championship races (quite a list, by the way), Verstappen is way out on his own with five victories in the Mexican/Mexico City Grand Prix.

Discounting his DNFs at Silverstone and Zandvoort, Verstappen’s last nine race finishes have been on the podium. Where he seemingly couldn’t buy pace for love nor money early on, he’s stealthily climbed his way back up again.

If Verstappen and Red Bull are on the money this weekend, Russell faces the double-whammy of his teammate winning the title, coupled with his own fall down the standings.