WEEKEND WARM-UP: All the paddock chatter from Thursday as Formula 1 returns to Mexico

Global events have prevented Formula 1 from racing in Mexico since 2019 – so it was great to be back at the vibrant Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez, as the drivers got ready for the 2021 Mexico City Grand Prix.

Top of the agenda on Thursday in Mexico was the ongoing title battle between Max Verstappen and Lewis Hamilton – hardly surprising, given that the pair are separated by just 12 points in the drivers’ standings, as we enter the final five races of the season.

READ MORE: With five races to go, will Hamilton or Verstappen win the 2021 title? Our writers make their predictions

Elsewhere, the drivers revealed their excitement at being back in Mexico after their enforced absence – while there was also the thorny issue of the last remaining seat on the 2022 grid, the one currently occupied by Antonio Giovinazzi at Alfa Romeo, to be discussed.

Join Rosanna Tennant and Lawrence Barretto as they round up all the paddock chatter from Thursday in Mexico City.