Audi Revolut F1 Team arrives at the Mexico City Grand Prix eighth in the constructors’ championship after the US Grand Prix, on 23 points and seven behind Haas. Freddie Slater, 18, drives the R26 in Friday’s first practice, his Formula One weekend debut. The race starts Sunday, Nov. 1 at 3:00 p.m. ET (2:00 p.m. in Mexico City), the first of five rounds left this season.
Featured image: Audi Revolut F1 Team
Where does Audi stand after the US Grand Prix?
Haas is seventh on 30 points and Williams ninth on 12, so Audi is closer to the team above than the one below. Nico Hülkenberg is 14th in the drivers’ standings on 13 points and Gabriel Bortoleto 15th on 10. Neither scored in Austin. Our US Grand Prix recap covers Hülkenberg’s recovery to 11th, and our Austin preview set up the fight with Haas.
The Hinwil team has been here before, as Kick Sauber. Last year Bortoleto started 16th and finished 10th for a point, while Hülkenberg started 13th and did not finish.
Who is Freddie Slater, and why is he in Audi’s FP1?
Slater is British, and in January he became the first driver signed to the Audi Driver Development Programme. He finished this year’s Formula 3 championship second with Trident, with one Feature Race win, three poles and eight podiums, and he stayed in the title fight until the finale in Madrid in September. He won the Formula Regional European Championship in 2025 and steps up to Formula 2 with Invicta Racing in 2027.
His two sessions also meet a requirement in the rules. Article B1.7.3 of the FIA’s 2026 sporting regulations says that for FP1 or FP2 at two race weekends, each car must be driven by someone who has not taken part in more than two Championship races in their career. With two cars, that is four sessions. Paul Aron drove FP1 in Barcelona and Spielberg, which leaves Slater’s Mexico City and São Paulo sessions as Audi’s last two.
Racing Director Allan McNish, who also directs the driver program, said in Audi’s release that “it is the right time for Freddie to step-up.” Slater’s session is FP1 on Friday, Oct. 30 at 2:30 p.m. ET.
Can Antonelli clinch the title in Mexico City?
Yes. After the US Grand Prix, Kimi Antonelli leads Mercedes teammate George Russell 365 to 242, with Lewis Hamilton on 241. At most 100 points remain after Mexico City, and a tie on points goes to the driver with more race wins, which is Antonelli. By our math, a ninth-place finish or better is enough for him to clinch the title in a full-length race, whatever Russell and Hamilton do.
Mexico City Grand Prix 2026 schedule (Mexico City time and ET)
| Session | Day | Mexico City | Eastern (ET) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Practice 1 | Fri Oct 30 | 12:30 to 1:30 p.m. | 2:30 to 3:30 p.m. |
| Practice 2 | Fri Oct 30 | 4:00 to 5:00 p.m. | 6:00 to 7:00 p.m. |
| Practice 3 | Sat Oct 31 | 11:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. | 1:30 to 2:30 p.m. |
| Qualifying | Sat Oct 31 | 3:00 to 4:00 p.m. | 5:00 to 6:00 p.m. |
| Race | Sun Nov 1 | 2:00 p.m. | 3:00 p.m. |
Mexico City stays on the same clock all year, but US clocks go back at 2 a.m. Sunday. That puts Friday and Saturday two hours ahead of Mexico City for Eastern viewers and Sunday’s race only one hour ahead.
Mexico City Grand Prix FAQ
Is there a Sprint in Mexico City? No. It is a standard weekend with three practice sessions, qualifying and the race.
Who drives for Audi F1? Nico Hülkenberg drives car 27 and Gabriel Bortoleto drives car 5, with Slater in the R26 for FP1 only. Our explainer covers why Audi is in Formula 1.
What time does the Mexico City Grand Prix start? Sunday, Nov. 1 at 3:00 p.m. ET, which is 2:00 p.m. in Mexico City.
We’ll be following the whole weekend, Slater’s debut included, on Instagram @audi_obsession, and our race recap goes up once the official results are in.
Sources
- Audi Revolut F1 Team: Freddie Slater to make FP1 debut in Mexico and Brazil
- Audi Revolut F1 Team: Slater signs as first member of the Driver Development Programme
- FIA Formula 3: Freddie Slater driver profile
- FIA: 2026 Formula 1 Regulations, Section B (Sporting), Issue 09
- Audi Revolut F1 Team: Paul Aron set for FP1 outings in Barcelona and Spielberg
- Formula 1: 2026 Barcelona FP1 results
- FIA: 2026 Austrian Grand Prix FP1 classification
- FIA: United States Grand Prix championship points
- Formula 1: 2026 constructors’ standings
- Formula 1: 2026 drivers’ standings
- Formula 1: Mexico City Grand Prix 2026 schedule
- Formula 1: 2025 Mexico City Grand Prix result
- Formula 1: 2025 Mexico City Grand Prix starting grid