5 BOLD Predictions for the F1 Mexican Grand Prix

Matt Hylen
4 minutes ago
4 min read

Round 20 of the F1 season is underway in Mexico, and boy, could we have a good one. With qualifying scattering the grid around, this could be the shakeup in the Drivers' Championship that fans have been hoping for. Lando Norris looks otherworldly while Oscar Piastri is struggling, Max Verstappen does not look quick, and even the Ferrari drivers are looking like contenders to win the race. All is to play for in Mexico, so let's get predicting!

But before we do, here is a look at how qualifying ended on Saturday:

Lando Norris
Charles Leclerc
Lewis Hamilton
George Russell
Max Verstappen
Kimi Antonelli
Carlos Sainz
Oscar Piastri
Isack Hadjar
Oliver Bearman
Yuki Tsunoda
Esteban Ocon
Nico Hülkenberg
Fernando Alonso
Liam Lawson
Gabriel Bortoleto
Alex Albon
Pierre Gasly
Lance Stroll
Franco Colapinto

NOTE: Carlos Sainz will start 12th due to a 5-place grid penalty he received after a collision with Kimi Antonelli during the United States Grand Prix.

Kimi Antonelli will Finish Ahead of George Russell

Kimi Antonelli and George Russell have looked pretty similar this weekend in terms of pace, which is promising for the young Italian driver. Antonelli has also been starting to form a bit of consistency during races as he gets more and more comfortable within the car. I have a feeling that, with the way the grid is shaped up, something will happen in front of Kimi that he can take advantage of. Antonelli has yet to beat his teammate this season; I think Mexico will be the first.

Alpine will NOT Finish Last

It is no secret that Alpine is, by far, the worst car on the grid. It borders the line of embarrassment regarding their competitiveness this season. However, they have not looked too much slower than the likes of Aston Martin and Sauber. This is a stretch for sure, but I think due to the closeness Alpine finds themselves in with a few of the other teams, they could accomplish a minor "win" and have both drivers beat at least one other driver.

There will be NO Safety Car Deployed During the Race

Credit to Simon Galloway / Motorsport Images

If you follow my predictions that I make before every race weekend, you know that whenever I predict chaos or carnage in the race, it never seems to actually happen. It could just be my fandom wanting what everyone else wants, but this time I am going the other way. The only real opportunity for a major crash in my mind is lap 1, turn 1. It is an extremely long straight that could see multiple dive bombs and overtaking attempts. So, it is a toss-up between whether or not a collision will happen, but I have a feeling nothing major will happen. I hope I am wrong, but based on the straight going into turn 1, this feels bolder to me.

Oscar Piastri will LOSE His Championship Lead as a Result of the Grand Prix

Let's be real: Oscar Piastri is in shambles right now. His confidence is completely shot by the looks of things, and his performance is allowing Lando Norris and Max Verstappen to gain on him with each race. Even during qualifying on Saturday, he barely made it into Q2 and Q3 and will be starting 7th in the race (this takes Sainz's grid drop into account). He has shown no inclination that there is pace in his car, causing me to believe he could actually drop a position during the race. Piastri currently holds a 40-point lead over Max Verstappen, who starts 5th, and a 14-point lead on his teammate Lando Norris, who is on pole. I think this weekend will go from bad to not worse, but rather catastrophic, for the Championship leader.

Lando Norris will Win the Mexican Grand Prix AND Take the Lead of the Drivers' Championship

Just when we thought Ferrari was going to shut the door on qualifying and shock the world, Lando Norris put together a BLINDING lap to take pole by over two and a half tenths of a second. This is firmly Lando's race to lose; he has looked quick all weekend long and, by the looks of it, has full confidence in the car. With Verstappen starting 5th and Piastri 7th, this might be Lando's biggest chance to make a statement and take a huge chunk out of Piastri's lead. I think that, if he can get a good start and survive turn 1, there will be no looking back for Norris. Yes, he will need Piastri to finish 5th or lower to take the lead of the Drivers' Championship, but that is not in any stretch out of the realm of possibility. Lando surely understands the opportunity he has in front of him, which makes me even more confident in his ability to dominate on Sunday.