Sergio Perez has signed a new deal with Cadillac that will see him remain with the team until at least 2029. Perez joined the team for its debut season, having lost his seat at Red Bull after a string of poor performances in 2024. Although results have not been great, as the team struggles to gain their footing in their first year, Perez’s performance in the latter half of the season has been better than teammate Valtteri Bottas. Who will partner Perez remains a little uncertain. It’s believed that Bottas currently holds a multi-year deal with the team, although the team’s recent investment in test driver Colton Herta may show a lack of confidence.
Former Sauber team manager Beat Zehnder will leave Audi at the end of the year. Initially joining Sauber in 1988 as a mechanic, Zehnder joined the F1 programme in 1993. By 1994, he became the team manager, taking on a hands-on role with the team. He attended a stunning 601 consecutive grand prix weekends, with his streak coming to an end with the 2025 Monaco Grand Prix. Near the end of 2024, Zehnder transitioned to a new role as Director of Signature Programmes and Operations, which has seen him step back from the race operations side of the team. The 60-year-old will leave the team at the end of the year.
Haas replaced Esteban Ocon with reserve driver Ryo Hirakawa for most of the Mexican Grand Prix weekend after the Frenchman participated in only a single practice session. Hirakawa, a 32-year-old sports car racer who is heavily backed by Toyota, participated in the first free practice session of the weekend. Ocon was back in the car for the second free practice session, where he had a bit of a disagreement with his race engineer over the team radio about what tyres to run on. Haas statement confirmed that Ocon would be replaced by Hirakawa for the rest of the weekend. Although no reason for the change-up was given, the team confirmed that it was not due to illness. Ocon has since fought back against rumours that there was a physical altercation between him and team boss Ayao Komatsu. Although the Frenchman acknowledges that “a difference in viewpoints led to a discussion” overnight, he rejected claims there was any violence and condemned such actions. It’s unclear whether Ocon will return to the team for the final rounds of the season. It’s already been confirmed that he will not be continuing with the team for 2027, with the team having signed Rafa Camara as his replacement.
Isack Hadjar was formally reprimanded for misconduct after shoving a fan before the start of FP1. After stopping to take a photo with a young fan, Hadjar was approached by a fan in an “aggressive manner.” The fan attempted to take a photo with Hadjar and was shoved twice by the driver. He was running late for FP1 at the time. After meeting with the FIA, Hadjar was found to have breached Article 12.2.1.l of the International Sporting Code, although the stewards opted not to impose a penalty after reviewing video evidence. A single security official was with Hadjar at the time, although he was unable to intervene.
Charles Leclerc topped the leaderboards by the end of the first free practice session at the Mexican Grand Prix weekend. All teams but Ferrari ran young drivers, with Fred Vesti finishing the highest of the bunch in P3, behind the other Mercedes car driven by Kimi Antonelli. Drivers struggled for grip in the early stages, with many finding the grass as a result. Isack Hadjar suffered a power unit issue during the session, while Audi youngster Freddie Slater also suffered some power unit damage after being sent onto the track with a cooling fan still attached to the sidepod. Jak Crawford was another driver to suffer mechanical issues when his Aston Martin came to a stop in the closing stages.
Charles Leclerc retained his top spot in Friday’s second free practice session, narrowly outpacing Lando Norris and George Russell. Esteban Ocon was the first to hit trouble, losing power steering during his first laps and having to return to the garage. Oliver Bearman also struggled with a technical gremlin early in the session, coming to a brief stop trackside while the people on the pit wall sorted things out. Liam Lawson and Max Verstappen raised eyebrows, driving side-by-side through the stadium section, with neither willing to concede. It ended with the two making contact and shedding debris. The Dutchman still managed to finish P5 in the session. Lewis Hamilton had a rough session, suffering from a loss of power midway through the session and losing valuable practice time.
Lando Norris beat Kimi Antonelli by the narrowest of margins in the final free practice session. Only 0.001s separated the two. Gabriel Bortoleto and Sergio Perez were both essentially absent from the session after suffering power unit issues on their out laps, with Cadillac opting to change Perez’s power unit as a precaution. Charles Leclerc, who had led both Friday sessions, was third quickest just ahead of Oscar Piastri. Max Verstappen rounded out the top five ahead of Lewis Hamilton and George Russell.
Lewis Hamilton claimed his first pole position with Ferrari, ending a three-year slump. He was only 0.009s faster than George Russell in P2, with teammate Kimi Antonelli finishing in P5 behind Charles Leclerc and Max Verstappen. Hamilton led Q1, as Fernando Alonso suffered a mechanical failure. In Q2, Verstappen was quickest. But it was Oscar Piastri’s pace that was the bigger shock, with the Aussie failing to make it out of the session, finishing in P13. This gave Pierre Gasly and both Racing Bulls an opportunity in Q3. Liam Lawson was the quickest of the three, but they were still at the bottom of the top ten.
Lawson’s qualifying position didn’t stand, as he was disqualified after the session due to a technical violation. After setting his fastest lap in Q2, the New Zealander’s car ran out of battery power, causing the MGU-K power output to stop immediately. Under the current regulations, the power output must reduce gradually. The FIA agreed that Racing Bulls had not gained any sporting advantage from the violation, but had to disqualify the car.
Max Verstappen claimed victory in the race, but Kimi Antonelli stole the show by becoming the sport’s youngest champion. Lewis Hamilton had a good start from pole position, but immediately had to battle with his teammate. Charles Leclerc took the lead of the race after a failed overtaking attempt around the outside in turn four on the opening lap sent him cutting through the grass. This compromised Hamilton’s run and allowed Verstappen to overtake him as well. Leclerc should have given back the position, but opted to take a penalty instead, which was five seconds. This worked out well as he had already built a five-second lead. George Russell had bad luck, running out of energy on the run down to the first corner, dropping down the field. A later collision with Isack Hadjar would give him a ten-second penalty. With a one-stop strategy at play, Lando Norris and Antonelli attempted to gamble on the safety car coming out. Eventually, they pitted only for the safety car to come immediately after, when Valtteri Bottas suffered a suspension failure and a heavy crash into the barriers. After a red flag to repair the barriers, Hamilton retook P2 from his teammate on the standing start. Hamilton could not get past Verstappen, while Norris was stuck behind Leclerc fighting over P4. But Antonelli finally secured his championship title with a P3 finish, celebrating on the podium alongside two F1 legends. Click here to read a full summary of the race.
Next on the calendar, the teams will be heading to Brazil for the final race in the current triple-header on November 7. This will lead into another triple-header that will close out the season.
It can be challenging for even the most avid fans to keep up with the fast-paced world of Formula One. The Weekly F1 Recap is a series published each Monday that breaks down the action, both on and off the circuit, into bit-sized pieces. It's perfect for casual and experienced fans alike.
