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ESPN staff
Like in 2017, the Mexican Grand Prix looks set to play host to Lewis Hamilton’s title coronation. All the British driver needs in Mexico is a seventh-place to secure his fifth world title — a foregone conclusion providing Hamilton enjoys a clean race on Sunday with no reliability issues. He will also win the title regardless of his position if his only remaining rival, Sebastian Vettel, fails to win on Sunday.
Formula One heads to the Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez on the back of an enthralling U.S. Grand Prix, where Kimi Raikkonen claimed his first win since the 2013 Australian Grand Prix, while Max Verstappen recovered from 18th on the grid to finish second.
With rain forecast for qualifying, we could be set for another great weekend of F1 action.
What time does it start and how can I watch? This weekend’s Mexican Grand Prix is set to get underway at 1:10 p.m. local time, 7:10 p.m. GMT and 2:10 p.m. ET. For U.S. viewers, all of this weekend’s sessions are live on ESPN and ABC (all times Eastern):
Friday
Practice 1 – Friday, Oct. 26, 10:55 AM – ESPNU
Practice 2 – Friday, Oct. 26, 2:55 PM – ESPNEWS
Saturday
Practice 3 – Saturday, Oct. 27, 10:55 AM – ESPNEWS
Qualifying – Saturday, Oct. 27, 1:55 PM – ESPNEWS
Sunday
Race – Sunday, Oct. 28 2:30 PM – ABC
Encore – Sunday, Oct. 28, 9:00 PM – ESPNEWS
Encore – Monday, Oct. 29, 12:00 AM – ESPN2
UK viewers can watch every session live on Sky Sports F1. Check local listings for all other territories.
How can Hamilton win the drivers’ title this weekend?
For Hamilton win his fifth title, the following results need to occur:
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If Vettel wins in Mexico, Hamilton must finish at least seventh.
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If Vettel finishes second or lower, Hamilton takes the title regardless of where he finishes.
How can Mercedes win the title constructors’ this weekend?
While all the attention has been on the drivers’ title, Mercedes can wrap up a fifth straight constructors’ title in Mexico. Mercedes holds a 66-point lead over Ferrari with three rounds of the season to go.
A maximum number of points a team can score in a grand prix weekend is 43 points. With three rounds remaining there is a maximum of 129 points on the table.
If Mercedes outscores Ferrari by 20 points in Mexico — meaning it has an 86-point lead heading to Brazil — it will win the constructors’ crown. The German manufacturer has outscored its Italian rivals by 20 points or more on just three occasions in 2018 — in Spain, Germany and Russia, where it scored one-two finishes.
What else to look out for in Mexico?
The two Finns are separated by just four points in the battle for third in the drivers’ championship. To everyone’s surprise, Raikkonen stormed to victory at the Circuit of the Americas, while Bottas struggled for pace and could only manage fifth.
With the Mercedes and Ferrari looking to be fairly evenly matched going into the final three rounds, it’s tough to predict which Finn will come home in third and take the bronze trophy.
Further down the field, the battle for seventh — the ‘best of the rest’ spot — remains tight with Nico Hulkenberg, Sergio Perez, Kevin Magnussen, Fernando Alonso and Esteban Ocon separated by just 12 points.
http://www.espn.com/f1/story/_/id/25080405/2018-mexican-grand-prix-does-start-how-watch
