2021 Mexico City Grand Prix: F1 Race, Qualifying & Winners

The 2021 Mexico City Grand Prix brought a vibrant home crowd, a surprise Mercedes front row and a decisive opening move from Max Verstappen. The Red Bull Racing driver swept into the lead at Turn 1 and controlled the race, while Sergio Perez made history by reaching the podium in front of his home supporters.

Race Guide

Season: 2021 F1 World Championship
Race date: 7 November 2021
Race start time: 13:00 local time (UTC-06:00)
Circuit: Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez
Laps: 71 laps
Circuit length: 4.304 km
2019 winner: Lewis Hamilton

Pole position
Driver	Valtteri Bottas	Mercedes
Time	1:15.875
Fastest lap
Driver	Valtteri Bottas	Mercedes
Time	1:17.774 on lap 69
Podium
First	Max Verstappen	Red Bull Racing
Second	Lewis Hamilton	Mercedes
Third	Sergio Perez	Red Bull Racing

Weekend Schedule

Date	Session	Local Time
5 November 2021	Practice 1	11:30 – 12:30
5 November 2021	Practice 2	15:00 – 16:00
6 November 2021	Practice 3	11:00 – 12:00
6 November 2021	Qualifying	14:00 – 15:00
7 November 2021	Race	13:00

All times are local (UTC-06:00). The race time is the scheduled start.

Championship background

Verstappen arrived with a 12-point lead after his Austin victory, while Mercedes still held the constructors’ advantage. The event returned after a year away under the Mexico City Grand Prix name, and the high-altitude circuit promised another distinctive test. Perez’s presence in a front-running car added a particularly strong local focus to the weekend.

Race entries

All 20 regular drivers were entered. Several power-unit and gearbox penalties affected the eventual grid, including drops for Yuki Tsunoda, Lando Norris, Esteban Ocon, Lance Stroll and George Russell.

Free Practice

Valtteri Bottas topped FP1 with a 1:18.341, ahead of Lewis Hamilton (+0.076s) and Max Verstappen. Bottas and Hamilton led the first session for Mercedes, with Verstappen third as the track began to gain grip.

Max Verstappen topped FP2 with a 1:17.301, ahead of Valtteri Bottas (+0.424s) and Lewis Hamilton. Verstappen moved clear in FP2, suggesting Red Bull Racing would be a major threat despite Mercedes‘ opening-session result.

Sergio Perez topped FP3 with a 1:17.024, ahead of Max Verstappen (+0.193s) and Lewis Hamilton. Perez delighted the local supporters by topping final practice ahead of Verstappen, giving Red Bull Racing the two quickest times.

Free Practice 1 Classification

2021 Mexico City Grand Prix FP1, 5 November 2021

Pos.	No.	Driver	Team	Time / Gap	Laps
1	77	Valtteri Bottas	Mercedes	1:18.341	28
2	44	Lewis Hamilton	Mercedes	+0.076s	24
3	33	Max Verstappen	Red Bull Racing	+0.123s	28
4	11	Sergio Perez	Red Bull Racing	+0.269s	20
5	10	Pierre Gasly	AlphaTauri	+0.644s	23
6	55	Carlos Sainz	Ferrari	+1.122s	26
7	14	Fernando Alonso	Alpine	+1.315s	26
8	16	Charles Leclerc	Ferrari	+1.326s	20
9	31	Esteban Ocon	Alpine	+1.418s	20
10	5	Sebastian Vettel	Aston Martin	+1.517s	27
11	22	Yuki Tsunoda	AlphaTauri	+1.670s	30
12	7	Kimi Räikkönen	Alfa Romeo Racing	+1.685s	26
13	18	Lance Stroll	Aston Martin	+1.689s	27
14	3	Daniel Ricciardo	McLaren	+1.932s	25
15	4	Lando Norris	McLaren	+1.960s	26
16	99	Antonio Giovinazzi	Alfa Romeo Racing	+2.003s	27
17	63	George Russell	Williams	+2.176s	23
18	6	Nicholas Latifi	Williams	+3.239s	23
19	47	Mick Schumacher	Haas	+3.803s	27
20	9	Nikita Mazepin	Haas	+4.478s	24

Free Practice 2 Classification

2021 Mexico City Grand Prix FP2, 5 November 2021

Pos.	No.	Driver	Team	Time / Gap	Laps
1	33	Max Verstappen	Red Bull Racing	1:17.301	28
2	77	Valtteri Bottas	Mercedes	+0.424s	31
3	44	Lewis Hamilton	Mercedes	+0.509s	26
4	11	Sergio Perez	Red Bull Racing	+0.570s	26
5	55	Carlos Sainz	Ferrari	+1.017s	29
6	10	Pierre Gasly	AlphaTauri	+1.128s	29
7	16	Charles Leclerc	Ferrari	+1.304s	28
8	22	Yuki Tsunoda	AlphaTauri	+1.343s	31
9	5	Sebastian Vettel	Aston Martin	+1.380s	32
10	14	Fernando Alonso	Alpine	+1.431s	27
11	7	Kimi Räikkönen	Alfa Romeo Racing	+1.540s	25
12	4	Lando Norris	McLaren	+1.678s	27
13	99	Antonio Giovinazzi	Alfa Romeo Racing	+1.926s	31
14	31	Esteban Ocon	Alpine	+2.130s	37
15	3	Daniel Ricciardo	McLaren	+2.220s	7
16	47	Mick Schumacher	Haas	+2.319s	30
17	18	Lance Stroll	Aston Martin	+2.429s	36
18	6	Nicholas Latifi	Williams	+3.519s	17
19	9	Nikita Mazepin	Haas	+4.280s	28
20	63	George Russell	Williams		2

Free Practice 3 Classification

2021 Mexico City Grand Prix FP3, 6 November 2021

Pos.	No.	Driver	Team	Time / Gap	Laps
1	11	Sergio Perez	Red Bull Racing	1:17.024	15
2	33	Max Verstappen	Red Bull Racing	+0.193s	12
3	44	Lewis Hamilton	Mercedes	+0.651s	14
4	77	Valtteri Bottas	Mercedes	+0.684s	17
5	55	Carlos Sainz	Ferrari	+1.005s	20
6	22	Yuki Tsunoda	AlphaTauri	+1.013s	25
7	3	Daniel Ricciardo	McLaren	+1.097s	15
8	10	Pierre Gasly	AlphaTauri	+1.178s	18
9	16	Charles Leclerc	Ferrari	+1.189s	20
10	4	Lando Norris	McLaren	+1.288s	16
11	18	Lance Stroll	Aston Martin	+1.328s	20
12	7	Kimi Räikkönen	Alfa Romeo Racing	+1.507s	22
13	99	Antonio Giovinazzi	Alfa Romeo Racing	+1.532s	19
14	5	Sebastian Vettel	Aston Martin	+1.590s	17
15	14	Fernando Alonso	Alpine	+1.823s	15
16	31	Esteban Ocon	Alpine	+1.975s	17
17	63	George Russell	Williams	+2.187s	19
18	47	Mick Schumacher	Haas	+2.214s	14
19	6	Nicholas Latifi	Williams	+2.289s	12
20	9	Nikita Mazepin	Haas	+3.455s	15

Qualifying

Valtteri Bottas produced a 1:15.875 to take pole position, with Lewis Hamilton completing an unexpected Mercedes front-row lockout. Max Verstappen qualified third and Sergio Perez fourth after Red Bull Racing failed to convert its practice promise into the leading grid positions.

Pierre Gasly qualified fifth ahead of Carlos Sainz and Daniel Ricciardo. A crash for Lance Stroll interrupted Q1, while traffic and a disrupted final run complicated the closing moments for the Red Bull Racing drivers. Mercedes had the front row, but the long run to Turn 1 ensured the start would remain a major opportunity for the cars behind.

Qualifying Classification

2021 Mexico City Grand Prix Qualifying, 6 November 2021

Pos.	No.	Driver	Team	Q1	Q2	Q3	Laps
1	77	Valtteri Bottas	Mercedes	1:16.727	1:16.864	1:15.875	23
2	44	Lewis Hamilton	Mercedes	1:17.207	1:16.474	1:16.020	22
3	33	Max Verstappen	Red Bull Racing	1:16.788	1:16.483	1:16.225	18
4	11	Sergio Perez	Red Bull Racing	1:17.003	1:17.055	1:16.342	18
5	10	Pierre Gasly	AlphaTauri	1:16.908	1:16.955	1:16.456	22
6	55	Carlos Sainz	Ferrari	1:17.517	1:17.248	1:16.761	23
7	3	Daniel Ricciardo	McLaren	1:17.719	1:17.092	1:16.763	17
8	16	Charles Leclerc	Ferrari	1:16.748	1:17.034	1:16.837	22
9	22	Yuki Tsunoda	AlphaTauri	1:17.330	1:16.701	1:17.158	19
10	4	Lando Norris	McLaren	1:17.569	1:17.473	1:36.830	19
11	5	Sebastian Vettel	Aston Martin	1:17.502	1:17.746	—	16
12	7	Kimi Räikkönen	Alfa Romeo Racing	1:17.606	1:17.958	—	18
13	63	George Russell	Williams	1:17.958	1:18.172	—	13
14	99	Antonio Giovinazzi	Alfa Romeo Racing	1:17.897	1:18.290	—	15
15	31	Esteban Ocon	Alpine	1:18.126	1:18.405	—	13
16	14	Fernando Alonso	Alpine	1:18.452	—	—	7
17	6	Nicholas Latifi	Williams	1:18.756	—	—	8
18	47	Mick Schumacher	Haas	1:18.858	—	—	9
19	9	Nikita Mazepin	Haas	1:19.303	—	—	9
20	18	Lance Stroll	Aston Martin	1:20.873	—	—	3

Yuki Tsunoda was required to start the race from the back of the grid for exceeding his quota of power unit elements.

Lando Norris was required to start the race from the back of the grid for exceeding his quota of power unit elements.

George Russell received a five-place grid penalty for an unscheduled gearbox change.

Esteban Ocon was required to start the race from the back of the grid for exceeding his quota of power unit elements.

Lance Stroll was required to start the race from the back of the grid for exceeding his quota of power unit elements. He also received a five-place grid penalty for an unscheduled gearbox change. The penalty made no difference as he was already due to start from the last position.

What happened in the 2021 Mexico City Grand Prix?

Max Verstappen won the Mexico City Grand Prix after a decisive move around both Mercedes cars at the first corner. Lewis Hamilton finished second under late pressure from Sergio Perez, who became the first Mexican driver to stand on the podium at his home World Championship Grand Prix.

Verstappen used the long run from third on the grid to draw alongside the Mercedes pair, then braked late around the outside to take the lead. Behind him, Daniel Ricciardo made contact with polesitter Valtteri Bottas, spinning the Mercedes and sending both drivers to the back of the field.

Further contact eliminated Yuki Tsunoda and Mick Schumacher, bringing out the safety car. Verstappen controlled the restart and soon established an advantage that Hamilton could not consistently reduce. Red Bull Racing‘s race pace proved stronger than the qualifying order had suggested.

Perez extended his first stint and briefly led when Verstappen stopped, giving the home crowd another milestone to celebrate. His later tyre change left him with fresher rubber than Hamilton, and he began to close the gap in the final phase of the race.

The grandstands responded as Perez reached striking distance, but Hamilton defended second place successfully. Verstappen finished comfortably ahead, while Perez remained close behind the Mercedes at the flag. The podium gave Red Bull Racing a substantial points haul in both championships.

Pierre Gasly finished an assured fourth, ahead of the Ferrari pair of Charles Leclerc and Carlos Sainz. Sebastian Vettel took seventh for Aston Martin, with Kimi Räikkönen eighth for Alfa Romeo Racing. Fernando Alonso and Norris completed the top ten, Norris recovering from his grid penalty.

Bottas set the fastest lap but finished outside the points, so the bonus was not awarded to anyone. His lap still prevented Verstappen from collecting it. With victory and third place, Red Bull Racing moved closer to Mercedes in the constructors’ contest, while Verstappen strengthened his position before the teams travelled to Brazil.

2021 Mexico City Grand Prix race results

The 2021 Mexico City Grand Prix was held on 7 November 2021, with a scheduled start of 13:00 local time.

Pos.	No.	Driver	Team	Laps	Time / Retired	Pts.
1	33	Max Verstappen	Red Bull Racing	71	1:38:39.086	25
2	44	Lewis Hamilton	Mercedes	71	+16.555s	18
3	11	Sergio Perez	Red Bull Racing	71	+17.752s	15
4	10	Pierre Gasly	AlphaTauri	71	+63.845s	12
5	16	Charles Leclerc	Ferrari	71	+81.037s	10
6	55	Carlos Sainz	Ferrari	70	+1 lap	8
7	5	Sebastian Vettel	Aston Martin	70	+1 lap	6
8	7	Kimi Räikkönen	Alfa Romeo Racing	70	+1 lap	4
9	14	Fernando Alonso	Alpine	70	+1 lap	2
10	4	Lando Norris	McLaren	70	+1 lap	1
11	99	Antonio Giovinazzi	Alfa Romeo Racing	70	+1 lap	0
12	3	Daniel Ricciardo	McLaren	70	+1 lap	0
13	31	Esteban Ocon	Alpine	70	+1 lap	0
14	18	Lance Stroll	Aston Martin	69	+2 laps	0
15	77	Valtteri Bottas	Mercedes	69	+2 laps	0
16	63	George Russell	Williams	69	+2 laps	0
17	6	Nicholas Latifi	Williams	69	+2 laps	0
18	9	Nikita Mazepin	Haas	68	+3 laps	0
Ret	47	Mick Schumacher	Haas	0	Collision	0
Ret	22	Yuki Tsunoda	AlphaTauri	0	Collision	0

2021 Mexico City Grand Prix Fastest Laps

Pos.	No.	Driver	Team	Lap	Time of Day	Time	Avg. Speed
1	77	Valtteri Bottas	Mercedes	69	14:42:16	1:17.774	199.223
2	33	Max Verstappen	Red Bull Racing	52	14:16:18	1:18.999	196.134
3	11	Sergio Perez	Red Bull Racing	49	14:12:37	1:19.468	194.976
4	44	Lewis Hamilton	Mercedes	66	14:35:18	1:19.820	194.116
5	55	Carlos Sainz	Ferrari	63	14:32:08	1:20.081	193.484
6	5	Sebastian Vettel	Aston Martin	70	14:41:53	1:20.460	192.572
7	10	Pierre Gasly	AlphaTauri	66	14:36:02	1:20.510	192.453
8	4	Lando Norris	McLaren	67	14:38:07	1:20.617	192.197
9	16	Charles Leclerc	Ferrari	63	14:32:14	1:20.665	192.083
10	14	Fernando Alonso	Alpine	54	14:20:26	1:20.711	191.973
11	7	Kimi Räikkönen	Alfa Romeo Racing	63	14:32:31	1:20.713	191.969
12	18	Lance Stroll	Aston Martin	61	14:30:58	1:20.930	191.454
13	3	Daniel Ricciardo	McLaren	40	14:01:52	1:21.069	191.126
14	31	Esteban Ocon	Alpine	67	14:38:51	1:21.348	190.470
15	9	Nikita Mazepin	Haas	61	14:32:53	1:21.402	190.344
16	99	Antonio Giovinazzi	Alfa Romeo Racing	68	14:40:00	1:21.523	190.061
17	6	Nicholas Latifi	Williams	66	14:38:31	1:21.546	190.008
18	63	George Russell	Williams	61	14:31:13	1:22.016	188.919

Only drivers with a recorded lap time appear in this table. Time of Day is local time; average speeds are in km/h.

Valtteri Bottas set the fastest lap but finished outside the top ten, so no fastest-lap point was awarded.

2021 Post-Race F1 Championship Standings

Championship standings for drivers and teams after the 2021 Mexico City Grand Prix.

2021 Post-Race F1 Drivers’ Championship Standings

POS	Driver	Nationality	Car	PTS
1	Max Verstappen	NED	Red Bull Racing	312.5
2	Lewis Hamilton	GBR	Mercedes	293.5
3	Valtteri Bottas	FIN	Mercedes	185
4	Sergio Perez	MEX	Red Bull Racing	165
5	Lando Norris	GBR	McLaren	150
6	Charles Leclerc	MON	Ferrari	138
7	Carlos Sainz	ESP	Ferrari	130.5
8	Daniel Ricciardo	AUS	McLaren	105
9	Pierre Gasly	FRA	AlphaTauri	86
10	Fernando Alonso	ESP	Alpine	60
11	Esteban Ocon	FRA	Alpine	46
12	Sebastian Vettel	GER	Aston Martin	42
13	Lance Stroll	CAN	Aston Martin	26
14	Yuki Tsunoda	JPN	AlphaTauri	20
15	George Russell	GBR	Williams	16
16	Kimi Räikkönen	FIN	Alfa Romeo Racing	10
17	Nicholas Latifi	CAN	Williams	7
18	Antonio Giovinazzi	ITA	Alfa Romeo Racing	1
19	Mick Schumacher	GER	Haas	0
20	Robert Kubica	POL	Alfa Romeo Racing	0
21	Nikita Mazepin	RAF	Haas	0

RAF denotes the neutral Russian Automobile Federation designation used by Nikita Mazepin in 2021.

2021 Post-Race F1 Constructors’ Championship Standings

POS	Car	PTS
1	Mercedes	478.5
2	Red Bull Racing	477.5
3	Ferrari	268.5
4	McLaren	255
5	Alpine	106
6	AlphaTauri	106
7	Aston Martin	68
8	Williams	23
9	Alfa Romeo Racing	11
10	Haas	0