What to expect from the 2023 F1 Mexican Grand Prix

Round 19 of the Formula 1 campaign sees the series set up shop at the Autodromo Hermanos Rodriquez, host of the Mexico City Grand Prix.

The track returned to the F1 schedule in 2015 and has been on the calendar ever since bar 2020 when the event was cancelled due to Covid-19.

Following two weekends of the F1 Sprint format being used in Qatar and the United States, the traditional schedule will be used this time around.

But what should we expect this year from the weekend?

Rookie drivers

F1's regulations state that every team must allocate two practice sessions to a rookie driver throughout the season.

Only Robert Shwartzman (Ferrari) and Felipe Drugovich (Aston Martin) have received outings so far this year, but a further five rookies will get behind the wheel in Mexico.

Mercedes' George Russell will step aside for the first practice session of the weekend to allow Formula 2 race winner Frederik Vesti to get a run.

Vesti is one of three FP1 debutants, with Ferrari junior Oliver Bearman jumping into the Haas for the session while AlphaTauri will field Isack Hadjar.

Jack Doohan and Theo Pourchaire, who received practice debuts last year, will also take part in the session with Alpine and Alfa Romeo respectively.

Perez support

Few atmospheres during the F1 season are as passionate as the one present in Mexico and this weekend will likely be no different.

The organisers of the race have won multiple awards through the years as they were recognised for their promotional efforts and it has always been Sergio Perez who has received the bulk of the hype.

Perez, from Guadalajara, has suffered a challenging campaign which has led to question marks over his future with Red Bull.

Amid his discomforting run with Red Bull, the attending fans will likely be even more energised to provide him with encouragement.

Unfortunately, this may come with the caveat of a hostile reception for Red Bull team-mate Max Verstappen, who will have bodyguards present throughout the event.

Boos were already heard for Verstappen on the podium at the United States Grand Prix last weekend.

Verstappen has largely out-performed Perez this year and sealed his third F1 title in Qatar earlier this month.

Verstappen drawing level with Prost

As he's currently enjoying statistically the most dominant season in F1 history, Verstappen is unsurprisingly the favourite for the win this weekend.

Prevailing in the Grand Prix would mark his 51st win of his career and draw him level with Alain Prost's tally, finalised in 1993.

Verstappen will be the first to tell you that his records are skewed due to more races being held in the modern era compared to decades gone by.

However, it doesn't take away from the staggering campaign that Verstappen has enjoyed as he sets his sights on passing the records of the legends who preceded him.

Drawing level with Prost would leave only Sebastian Vettel, Michael Schumacher and Lewis Hamilton ahead of him on more race wins.

Constructors’ fight ramping up

Although the fight for the Constructors' Championship is wrapped up, there is plenty to play for as the season enters its final four rounds.

Just 22 points separate Mercedes and Ferrari in the fight for second place while McLaren is hunting both - albeit from a more distant position.

While attention is naturally drawn to those fighting further up the order, a hugely important battle is forming at the foot of the standings.

The five points that AlphaTauri scored last time out in the United States doubled its tally for the entire campaign and have brought it within two points of Haas for ninth.

Additionally, Haas sits just four points behind Alfa Romeo, meaning positions eight through 10 could go down to the final race in Abu Dhabi.

With tens of millions of dollars on the line with each position, a higher result has major repercussions for all of the parties involved