The Mexico City circuitbetter known as “Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez”is the highest track in the entire Formula 1 World Championship with well 2238 meters above sea level. A peculiarity which is no small feat and which brings with it many problems, especially for the mechanical components of the single-seaters. The rarefaction of the air here can also reach 30% and this leads to a reduction in downforce, forcing teams to choose a setup from maximum aerodynamic load. Despite these problems, in the 2016 edition, the then Williams driver Valtteri Bottasset the maximum speed record ever recorded in an official Formula 1 session: 372.499 km/h peak reached on the main straight of ben 1320 meters.
Extreme altitude also brings many problems to the braking system: violent decelerations and thin air make it more difficult for the brakes to cool. On average, braking lasts approximately 16 seconds around, the 21% of the entire duration of the race, one of the highest values on the calendar. They will also have a crucial role power unitwhich are particularly stressed here as they must always operate at high thrust speeds, it will be essential to manage the cooling of the turbocharger. In this context, the tortuous nature of the long route combines 4304 meters which involves high-speed chicanes combined with slow corners, which makes qualifying crucial given the few overtaking routes. The Mexican F1 GP will start on Sunday 26 October at 9pm, with the drivers called upon to perform 71 laps totals for a total distance of 305,584 km.
The fastest lap in the race was set by Valtteri Bottas in 2021 with Mercedes in 1’17’774at an average speed of 199,223 km/h.
Hermanos Rodríguez Circuit: how altitude and track influence the performance of single-seaters
The Mexican route of 4,304 km is composed of 17 curvesof which 11 on the right and 7 on the left, the slow chicanes prevail where the mechanical traction and balance of the single-seaters will be the protagonists. Added to this is the long main straight after the start which is slightly longer than 1km, here the pilots employ about 16 seconds to cover it and the single-seaters reach peaks higher than 350 km/h. From the starting grid, up to the braking section of Turn 1, the single-seaters will perform well 830 meters.
The Mexico City circuit is a unique challenge of its kind due to the altitude at which it develops, as well 2000 meters. This means that the air is more rarefiedtherefore less dense and this has a very negative effect on the mechanical components of the cars, especially from the point of view of aerodynamic load which here is reduced by 25%. Precisely for this reason the teams will be forced to mount setups from maximum aerodynamic loadlike tracks like Monte Carlo. But not only that, the altitude also brings problems regarding the coolingin particular to the braking system and power units. The track is not very severe for the brakesin general they are 9 the braking sections that affect the track, the most violent is the one that leads to curve 1 after the starting straight, where you go from over 350 km/h to 102 km/h with 4.3G of deceleration in just 72 meters that is, just over 2 seconds with the pilots having to exert a force of 126kg on the pedal.
In terms of power units, on this track the drivers pass the 61% of the lap time with the throttle wide open, one of the lowest values of the entire calendar behind only Singapore (59%) And Monte Carlo (56%). The is also very solicited changebeyond 4000 gear changes during the race, about 36 change per lap, with the most used ratio being third gear. Chapter overtakes instead, the FIA has made it known that they will be Three the activation zones of DRS: the first on the main straight between turn 17 and turn 1, the second between turn 3 and turn 4 and the third in the section between turn 11 and turn 12. Qualifying in Mexico is important but not fundamental, overtaking points, especially along the straights, are possible as demonstrated by the 2024 edition in which they were recorded 91 overtakings in total.
The first sector is made up of the sun 3 curvesyou reach turn 1 after the starting straight of over 1 km and you arrive at the most violent braking of the track. Immediately afterwards, two slow chicanes follow (turn 2-3) to be taken in third gear and using the internal curbs a lot. The second sector starts from curve 4 and ends in the stretch that leads to curve 12. Precisely in this sector there are some “S” to travel to medium-high speeda bit like seen at the Austin circuit, which start from curve 7 to be driven in fifth gear at approximately 180 km/h; then turn 8 follows at full throttle and then turn 9 where the minimum speed is 225 km/h.
The tour ends by entering the third sector, which is very slow and includes the tortuous curves of the baseball stadium (Sol Forum) and the final segment of the Peraltada. The most challenging point is curve 12where the single-seaters arrive at 320 km/h in eighth gear to deal with the third most significant deceleration, downshifting to third and reducing the speed by approximately 100 km. Entering Turn 12 has historically been complex due to variable asphalt conditions and tire degradation, often causing off-track excursions. The last two turns 16-17 are to be taken in third gear at approximately 100 km/h where traction matters a lot.
Tire management, pit lane and strategies for the Mexican Grand Prix
Also in Mexico City, Pirelli opted for a rather particular choice of compounds, with a real “leap” between the Hard and the Medium. In concrete terms, we will have C2 as Hard, C4 as Medium And C5 as Soft: a mix that could complicate life for the teams in terms of degradation. In general, a level of tire degradation is expected quite lowthe only wear that could occur is that on the tires of the part leftthe curves traveling on the right being greater.
The altitude of the track radically changes the behavior of the tires. The thin air reduces the downforce generated by the wings and bottom of the cars, which means that the cars “they crush” minus the tires on the asphalt. As a result, tires tend to slide moreaccumulating heat irregularly and favoring the appearance of grainingthat phenomenon in which small fragments of rubber detach and reattach to the tread surface, reducing the grip.
On an asphalt smooth and little used like the Mexican one, which only “grows” as the sessions go by, the teams will have to find a perfect compromise between speed and duration. The compounds softer (C4 and C5) guarantee better times and more grip in the first laps, but risk deteriorating quickly: for this reason, it is likely to see strategies two stops by those who will focus everything on rhythm. On the contrary, who will choose the C2 will be able to try a more conservative strategy, with one stop only and longer stints, but sacrificing a few tenths per lap.
In the 2024almost all pilots had opted for a single stop (Medium-Hard), with very consistent results: the Medium had held up well until 39 laps (record signed by Piastri), while Hard had even achieved 49 rounds (Bottas). This year, however, with the best performing compounds and a potential increase in degradation, it is not excluded that the optimal strategy could shift towards the two stops.
The time wasted box is another element to take into consideration: in Mexico City, the average pit stop – considering entry, tire change and exit – loses approximately 22-23 secondsa relatively low value that can make a more aggressive strategy more attractive.
The Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez in numbers: statistics and records of the Mexican track
The Autodromo Hermanos Rodríguez is preparing to welcome yours 25th Grand Prix valid for the Formula 1 World Championship, a goal that also tells some political background. Until 2019, the event was officially known as “Mexico Grand Prix”but from 2021 the name has changed to “Mexico City Grand Prix”. A change that is only apparently symbolic: behind it there is in fact a question of state funding, first guaranteed by the federal government and then passed under the management of the capital.
Throughout its history, the Grand Prix has lived on three different “lives”.: the first between 1964 and 1970, the second from 1986 to 1992, and the third started in 2015. Excluding the forced pause in 2020 due to the pandemic, this is the longest period in which the race has been permanently on the world championship calendar. Let’s see what are the most important numbers to know about this circuit:
- Drivers with the most victories: there is only one driver in the lead in this ranking and it is Max Verstappen who triumphed here 5 occasions. Behind him Jim Clark, Alain Prost, Nigel Mansell and Lewis Hamilton with 2 victories each.
- Most successful teams: dominates the Red Bull with 5 winsfollowed by Lotus, McLaren, Williams, Mercedes and Ferrari with 3 wins each.
- Pole position: the Scotsman stands out above all others Jim Clark with 4 pole positions, followed by Ayrton Senna (3), Nigel Mansell and Charles Leclerc (2).
- Drivers with the most podiums achieved: Lewis Hamilton (6), Max Verstappen (5), Jack Brabham, Denny Hulme, Ayrton Senna, Nigel Mansell and Riccardo Patrese (4).
- Drivers with the most laps completed in the race: Max Verstappen (639), Lewis Hamilton (638), Valtteri Bottas (634), Carlos Sainz (584), Sergio Perez (534).
- Record lap in the race: 1’17″774, set by Valtteri Bottas in 2021
- Record lap in qualifying: 1’14″758, set by Max Verstappen in 2019
Another interesting and curious fact concerns the qualification here in Mexico. Analyzing the entire history of the race, in 11 occasions on 24 (45.8%) the winner sprinted from pole positionwhile in 15 cases on 24 (62.5%) victory went to whoever started from the front row. If we focus on theit was turbo-hybrid — so from 2015 onwards — the trend remains similar: in 4 editions on 9 (44.4%) he won the polemanand in 6 on 9 (66.7%) the triumph came from those who occupied one of the first two boxes on the grid.
But the most curious fact comes right here: in the modern era, 7 times out of 9 (77.8%) the GP was won by who was in the lead at the end of the first lap. The only exceptions? Charles Leclerc In the 2019 And Max Verstappen In the 2024. Furthermore, in Mexico City there was the first podium in his career for the “kaiser” Michael Schumacherwhen in the 1992 Mexican GP he came third with the Benetton powered by Ford.
