The Mexico City Grand Prix 2026 takes place on Sunday, November 1, at the Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez — and the start time catches out American viewers, because the United States ends daylight saving time that same morning. The race starts at 2:00 pm local time in Mexico City, which is 3:00 pm Eastern and 12:00 pm Pacific.
Mexico City is the middle race of three Americas rounds in a row: the United States Grand Prix in Austin on October 25, Mexico City on November 1, and São Paulo on November 8.
Mexico City GP 2026 full schedule
All times below, with the key conversions for US viewers:
Friday, October 30: Practice 1 at 12:30 pm Mexico City time (2:30 pm Eastern, 11:30 am Pacific); Practice 2 at 4:00 pm local (6:00 pm Eastern, 3:00 pm Pacific).
Saturday, October 31: Practice 3 at 11:30 am local (1:30 pm Eastern, 10:30 am Pacific); Qualifying at 3:00 pm local (5:00 pm Eastern, 2:00 pm Pacific).
Sunday, November 1: Race at 2:00 pm local (3:00 pm Eastern, 12:00 pm Pacific). Note the shift: the Friday and Saturday sessions fall before the US clock change, while the Sunday race falls after it, which is why the Eastern conversion moves from two hours ahead of Mexico City to one hour ahead.
The drivers’ parade is scheduled for 12:00 pm local on Sunday, with the Mexican national anthem at 1:44 pm, sixteen minutes before lights out. There is no sprint race in Mexico this year, so teams get the usual three practice sessions before qualifying.
Why Mexico City is so hard on the cars
The Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez sits at about 2,200 metres (7,350 feet) above sea level, making it one of the most unusual circuits on the calendar. The thin air means cars generate less aerodynamic downforce even with high-downforce setups, cooling is less efficient so teams open up bodywork, and turbocharged engines must work harder to compensate for the lower air pressure.
The lap itself rewards straight-line speed and braking stability, with a long main straight and heavy braking zones. Teams have to balance cooling, downforce and mechanical grip all weekend — and the altitude often shuffles the competitive order compared with sea-level races.
How to watch in the US and UK
In the United States, every session streams live on Apple TV, F1’s exclusive US broadcaster from 2026 under a five-year deal. A subscription costs $12.99 a month and includes F1 TV Premium, and some races and all practice sessions are free in the Apple TV app.
In the United Kingdom, Sky Sports F1 shows every session live, with the race at 8:00 pm on Sunday. In Mexico and most other countries, F1 TV streams the sessions and local rights holders carry the race on TV.
What happened last year
Lando Norris won the 2025 Mexico City race from pole, finishing 30.3 seconds ahead of Charles Leclerc, with Max Verstappen third and Oliver Bearman a career-best fourth for Haas. The 2026 edition is the 20th round of a 24-race season, followed by São Paulo, Las Vegas, Qatar and Abu Dhabi.
FAQ
What time does the Mexico City Grand Prix 2026 start? The race starts Sunday, November 1, at 2:00 pm Mexico City time — 3:00 pm Eastern, 12:00 pm Pacific, 8:00 pm UK time.
What channel is the Mexico GP on in the US? Apple TV streams every session live in the US in 2026.
Why is the Mexico GP start time confusing this year? Because the US ends daylight saving time on November 1, the gap between Mexico City and Eastern time shrinks from two hours (Friday and Saturday) to one hour on race day.
Is there a sprint race in Mexico? No — Mexico City uses the traditional format with three practice sessions, qualifying and the Grand Prix.
Sources
– https://grandepremio.com/en/f1/when-is-the-next-f1-race-after-austin-mexico-city-gp-2026-date-and-start-times/
– https://spiketoday.com/f1-mexico-city-grand-prix-start-times/