Overview
- Max Verstappen’s Sprint-and-race victories at COTA cut Oscar Piastri’s lead to 40 points, with Lando Norris 14 behind his McLaren teammate as round 20 begins.
- The Mexico City Grand Prix runs October 24–26 at the Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez over 71 laps, with forecasts pointing to dry, sunny conditions in the mid‑20s Celsius.
- Racing at roughly 2,240 meters reduces downforce and cooling efficiency, increasing stress on tyres, brakes and power units and elevating the importance of clean qualifying laps.
- McLaren says no further upgrades will be introduced this season and it will not favor a driver unless the title fight dictates so by mathematics.
- Red Bull advisor Helmut Marko says the team will decide the 2026 seat alongside Verstappen after the Mexico weekend, as attention falls on candidates within the Racing Bulls setup.