The Mexican Grand Prix weekend gets underway with the first free practice session at the Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez, as Kimi Antonelli arrives in Mexico City with another opportunity to secure his maiden Formula 1 title. After missing his first chance to wrap up the championship in Austin, the Italian will be looking to make a strong start to a potentially historic weekend. Follow FP1 live with GPblog for all the latest updates!

Antonelli gets another chance to seal F1 world title

Antonelli narrowly missed his first opportunity to secure the Drivers' Championship at last weekend's United States Grand Prix in Austin. The Mercedes driver dominated the race from pole position, but Lewis Hamilton's fourth-place finish and George Russell's eighth place prevented the Italian from celebrating his maiden world title.

The 20-year-old now needs just two more points to mathematically secure the championship. A ninth-place finish or better in Sunday's Grand Prix would be enough, regardless of where his remaining title rivals finish. Even if Antonelli fails to score, he will be crowned champion unless either Russell or Hamilton wins the race.

Mercedes could also secure the Constructors' Championship in Mexico City, although the Silver Arrows would need to outscore Ferrari by 39 points over the weekend.

Mexico City GP track guide: High altitude presents unique challenge

The Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez measures 4.304 kilometres and features 17 corners, with Sunday's race scheduled to run for 71 laps.

Situated more than 2,200 metres above sea level, the circuit presents a particularly demanding challenge for teams. The thinner air reduces aerodynamic downforce and makes cooling the power unit and brakes more difficult, forcing engineers to carefully balance performance and reliability.

The long start-finish straight provides one of the circuit's main overtaking opportunities, while the technical middle sector and distinctive Foro Sol stadium section demand precision from the drivers. Friday's opening session will provide teams with their first opportunity to assess their setups before attention turns to qualifying and Sunday's Grand Prix.

What time are the Mexico City GP practice sessions?

FP1 begins at 18:30 GMT (19:30 CET) on Friday, 30 October, and runs for 60 minutes. The second practice session follows at 22:00 GMT (23:00 CET).