Lando Norris, Max Verstappen and Lewis Hamilton are among eight drivers who will miss first practice for this Friday’s Mexico City Grand Prix.
During the season, each Formula 1 team must run a rookie in at least two practice sessions for both cars, and the relative simplicity of the Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez – neither a road race nor a sprint event – means most teams are taking the opportunity to meet the requirement.
Only Racing Bulls and Sauber will field both full-time drivers for the opening session of the weekend.
Championship leader Oscar Piastri, 14 points ahead of Lando Norris and 40 points ahead of Max Verstappen, will be the only title contender fully prepared ahead of qualifying on Saturday and the Mexico City Grand Prix on Sunday.
However, this means Piastri will almost certainly miss the first practice of the season-ending Abu Dhabi Grand Prix in December, having only competed once so far as a rookie.
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The F1 Show podcast team now discusses whether McLaren should prioritize either Oscar Piastri or Lando Norris to win the drivers’ championship.
Brazil (7-9 November) follows Mexico, but is a sprint weekend so there will be only one practice session, as will the second round in Qatar (28-30 November).
Las Vegas (21-23 November) is another event before Abu Dhabi, but drivers will want three full practice sessions to get by on the narrow street track.
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Take a look back at some of the most controversial moments between teammates Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri.
Notable Rookies: Lindblad of England
British teenager Arvid Lindblad will be watched closely as he drives Verstappen’s Red Bull in first practice and completes his F1 debut in 2026.
The 18-year-old Lindblad is currently ranked seventh in his first F2 campaign, but has impressed for Red Bull in various junior single-seater categories over the past few years.
Red Bull advisor Helmut Marko confirmed who will be Verstappen’s team-mate next year and the two Racing Bulls seats for 2026 will be decided after Mexico.
Isack Hadjar is set to advance to Red Bull, while Yuki Tsunoda, Liam Lawson and Lindblad will battle for a place at the Racing Bulls.
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There were multiple crashes during the Monza F2 feature race, in which Arvid Lindblad held off Alex Dunne, following a restart by Roman Stanek.
Mexican spectators will be able to cheer on home driver Pato O’Ward for the second consecutive year as the IndyCar star replaces Norris at McLaren.
“It’s always good to come home. The atmosphere and fan support in Mexico City is very special,” O’Ward said.
“I’m looking forward to hitting the ground running, contributing to the team, helping set up the car and collecting data. Thank you Zak (Brown) and Andrea (Stella) for the opportunity. I can’t wait to see it.”
Sky Sports F1 Mexico City GP Schedule
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Take a look back at some of the most dramatic moments from the Mexico City Grand Prix.
Thursday, October 23
9 p.m.: Driver press conference
12am: Paddock Uncut (Friday morning)
Friday, October 24
7:00 PM: Mexico City GP Practice 1 (session starts at 7:30 PM)
9pm: F1 Show
10 PM: Team leader press conference
10:45 PM: Mexico City GP Practice 2 (session starts 11 PM)*
Saturday, October 25th
6.15pm: Mexico City GP Practice 3 (session starts at 6.30pm)
9pm: Preparing for Mexico City GP qualifying*
10pm: Mexico City GP Qualifying*
Sunday, October 26
6.30pm: Grand Prix Sunday: Mexico City GP strengthened*
8 p.m.: Mexico City Grand Prix*
10pm: Checkered flag: Mexico City GP reaction
*Applies to Sky Sports main event as well
Formula 1’s thrilling title race continues at the Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez this weekend for the Mexico City Grand Prix, live on Sky Sports F1. Stream Sky Sports NOW – No Commitment, Cancel Anytime
