Published Thursday, 29 October, 4:45 a.m. ET (2:45 a.m. Mexico City) · Source: Formula 1, Apple, Kalshi
A 20-year-old Italian could be crowned Formula 1 world champion in Mexico City on Sunday. Our Mexico City Grand Prix coverage follows the build-up to a title.
Key Facts
- Title: Kimi Antonelli, Mercedes’ Italian driver, wins the championship with a ninth-place finish or better on Sunday.
- Lead: Antonelli has 365 points, 123 more than teammate George Russell and 124 more than Ferrari’s Lewis Hamilton.
- Race: Sunday, 1 November, 3:00 p.m. ET (2:00 p.m. Mexico City); Apple TV streams every session in the US.
- Prediction markets: Kalshi, regulated in the US by the CFTC, priced Antonelli at 99% to win the title (29 October, 4:25 a.m. ET).
Why Mexico City Can Decide the Title
Antonelli drives for Mercedes and is in his second Formula 1 season. He leads his teammate Russell by 123 points and a finish in the top nine on Sunday is enough to clinch the title.
He has won nine races this season. Russell has three, Max Verstappen of Red Bull two, and Hamilton and Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc one each.
A title at 20 would make Antonelli the youngest champion in the sport’s history. The current record belongs to Sebastian Vettel, who was 23 years and 134 days old when he won for Red Bull in 2010, and Antonelli would be Italy’s first champion since Alberto Ascari in 1953.
What Prediction Markets Say
Kalshi, a prediction market regulated in the US by the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC), priced Antonelli at 99% for the drivers’ championship on 29 October at 4:25 a.m. ET. About 1.9 million contracts have traded on the market.
Why we show this: prediction markets turn real-money bets into a live probability that moves within minutes of the news, which is why investors, campaigns and newsrooms in the United States now follow them closely. We show them next to polls and official results, never instead of them.
The Weekend Schedule
The Mexico City Grand Prix runs from Friday, 30 October to Sunday, 1 November at the Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez, the city’s Formula 1 circuit. It measures 4.304 km a lap, and the race covers 71 laps.
All times below are Mexico City time, which is Central Standard Time year-round. Eastern times are in brackets.
- Friday: first practice 12:30 p.m. (2:30 p.m. ET), second practice 4:00 p.m. (6:00 p.m. ET).
- Saturday: third practice 11:30 a.m. (1:30 p.m. ET), qualifying 3:00 p.m. (5:00 p.m. ET).
- Sunday: race 2:00 p.m. (3:00 p.m. ET, after US clocks go back).
What to Watch
The question is whether Antonelli reaches ninth place or better on a track that has crowned winners from Hamilton to Verstappen. Verstappen has won five of the last eight Mexico races, and Hamilton, Carlos Sainz and Lando Norris are also past winners.
Mexico has hosted a championship Grand Prix 25 times before, so this is the 26th. Sergio Pérez, who drives for the new US team Cadillac, is due to make his 300th Grand Prix start in front of his home crowd.
What It Means for US Readers
In the United States, every practice session, qualifying and the race stream live on Apple TV’s F1 channel. The race starts at 3:00 p.m. Eastern, noon Pacific, because US clocks fall back that same morning.
Mercedes also lead Ferrari by 133 points in the constructors’ championship, the separate title for teams. That contest is still open.
What Is Not Known
Race pace, weather and any penalties will only be clear after qualifying on Saturday. No public poll covers the title, so the prediction market is the only live probability.
Frequently Asked Questions
What does Kimi Antonelli need to win the F1 title in Mexico?
A finish in ninth place or better on Sunday secures the championship. He leads George Russell by 123 points.
When does the Mexico City Grand Prix start for US viewers?
The race starts Sunday, 1 November at 3:00 p.m. Eastern (noon Pacific). Apple TV streams every session live in the US.
This article was produced by The Rio Times’ automated newsroom system. How we use AI · Report an error · Editorial responsibility: Matthias Camenzind, Editor-in-Chief
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