Mexican GP: What you need to know

Lewis Hamilton heads to the Mexican GP knowing he can wrap up his sixth world championship - but Mercedes are expecting the high-speed race to present their "most difficult" challenge before the end of the season.

Hamilton will be just one title away from Michael Schumacher's all-time record should he outscore team-mate Valtteri Bottas by 14 points this weekend, and every session is live and exclusive on Sky Sports F1.

But Hamilton, newly-crowned constructors' champions Mercedes - as well as Max Verstappen, the winner of the past two Mexico City races - believe Ferrari are the favourites.

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The Scuderia have claimed every pole position since the summer break and another qualifying surge this weekend - on a track which features one of the longest straights on the calendar - would make it six in a row.

That straight, coupled with the high altitude which reduces downforce for the twistier sections, should make for compelling racing as F1 heads to the Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez for the first of a North American double header.

The 2019 season then finishes with races in the United States, Brazil and Abu Dhabi, although there is still plenty on the line - particularly for McLaren and Renault as they battle for fourth.

What are the teams and drivers saying?

Lewis Hamilton, Mercedes
"I think Mexico is generally our worst race of the year because of the way our car is set up and it's going to be a tough one for us. The last few have been pretty shocking, even though we've won the title there. I'm hoping for a better weekend but I think it's going to be very hard to beat the Ferraris with those long straights. We have no hope of getting by on those straights, that's for sure, but even if you look at the others, the McLarens are picking up some serious speeds on the straights, so are the Red Bulls so I think it will be a tricky one."

Sebastian Vettel, Ferrari
"Over the past couple of years, we have been on an upward trend in Mexico, although Red Bull has been the team to beat. But I think the gaps between us are getting smaller, so let's see how we get on this year."

Max Verstappen, Red Bull
"I'm looking forward to going back to Mexico as the last two years have been pretty special there with the two wins. I really enjoy driving there as well as the track is very different as it's at high altitude which makes it low grip. The corners are also very technical so you have to work hard to make sure you get the best out of it but it's a good track for us normally. I expect it to be a little bit more difficult this year because of the Ferrari pace but I think we can still have a very good race."

Toto Wolff, Mercedes
"There is no sense of entitlement in this team for future success, so we were quickly back to our usual race preparation routine after Japan. We know that the four remaining races are not going to be easy and we expect Mexico to be the most difficult one for us. The high altitude of the track brings some fairly unusual challenges as the low air density affects the downforce of the car, the cooling and the engine performance. It's a combination that doesn't particularly suit our car, but we will give it everything to try and limit the damage. We look forward to the fight and to the amazing Mexican crowd that shares our love for racing and turns the weekend into a brilliant celebration of motorsport."

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Mattia Binotto, Ferrari
"After two races in which we could have done better, we arrive in Mexico determined to win. We will be aiming for our sixth consecutive pole, before looking to convert that into a victory."

How can Hamilton win the title in Mexico?

• If Hamilton takes victory (25pts) and fastest lap (1pt), he will be champion if Bottas finishes fourth (12pts) or lower
• If Hamilton takes victory without the fastest lap, he will be champion if Bottas finishes fifth (10pts) or lower
• If Hamilton finishes second (18pts) with the fastest lap (1pt), he will be champion if Bottas finishes eighth (4pts) or lower
• If Hamilton finishes second without the fastest lap, he will be champion if Bottas finishes eighth, without the fastest lap, or lower
• If Hamilton finishes third (15pts) with the fastest lap (1pt), he will be champion if Bottas finishes ninth (2pts) or lower
• If Hamilton finishes third without the fastest lap, he will be champion if Bottas finishes 10th or lower without the fastest lap

But...

• If Hamilton finishes fourth or lower, the title race definitely goes on to the United States GP next week

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What's coming up on Sky F1 and when's the race?

The whole Mexican Grand Prix weekend is live on Sky Sports F1, the home of live and exclusive F1, and 2009 world champion Jenson Button will be joining our bumper team of experts to provide insight on the action.

Fans can enjoy a number of must-watch features in our live shows.

When's the Mexican GP on Sky?

Sky Sports F1's complete schedule for the weekend.

Button will be sitting down with McLaren star Lando Norris to talk all things F1, while Martin Brundle takes to the circuit with Verstappen as the Red Bull driver looks for three Mexico wins in a row.

We'll also be airing an incredible Mercedes exclusive as Karun Chandhok drives the championship-winning W10 car.

• Qualifying starts at 7pm on Saturday, October 26, with build-up from 6pm on Sky Sports F1
• The race starts at 7.10pm on Sunday, October 27, with build-up from 5.30pm on Sky Sports F1

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