Formula One Returns To Mexico This Weekend

Formula One returns to Mexico this weekend for the 1st Mexican Grand Prix since Y 1992.

The 1st Mexican Formula One race was held in Y 1963 and now the world’s premiere auto racing event will be on the F1 calendar for the next 7 years. After a lengthy hiatus, the Mexican Grand Prix returned to the calendar in Y 1986 and a further 6 races were held until Formula One left the country again.

Spectators queued outside early, with heavy police presence and the traffic gridlock, to get a glimpse of the cars and hometown favorite Sergio Perez.

Now it’s back, and the Mexican Grand Prix is being held at the renewed Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez, a high-speed track located in Mexico City and sitting at an altitude of 7,500 ft. Since the last race in 1992, the track has been revised and renewed under the supervision of German race track architect Hermann Tilke and includes a new pit lane and facilities.

The layout is unique, with long straights, but almost exclusively low-apex-speed corners.

Top speeds will be amongst the highest of the season, despite more downforce being required than at Monza. This is aided by the altitude of the track, which reduces drag effect. The low air density will also make cooling a challenge, and means the turbocharger compressor must work harder in order to deliver equivalent power output to sea level.

With a freshly laid track surface, it will be interesting to see how the cars and tires work.

With no real data from the track, tire supplier Pirelli is relying on computer simulation to prepare for the race and decide which compounds will be most suitable, in this case the medium and soft compounds. Scattered showers are forecast for Sunday’s race, so perhaps we will also see Full Wet tires fitted.

Mercedes AMG’s Lewis Hamilton cinched the Drivers’ Championship during last weekend’s United States Grand Prix in Austin, TX. But, the #2 and #3 positions are up for grabs, with fellow Mercedes man Nico Rosberg and Ferrari’s Sebastian Vettel the 2 drivers in contention.

Mr. Hamilton sits on 327 points in the Drivers’ Championship.

Mr Vettel is 2nd with 251 and Mr. Rosberg 3rd with 247.

In the Constructors’ Championship, Mercedes garnered the title and currently enjoys 574 points Vs the 374 of Ferrari and 220 of Williams.

Nico Rosberg set the fastest time for Mercedes in Mexican Grand Prix practice Friday as large crowds welcomed Formula One back.

Mr. Rosberg posted a best of 1:21.531.

“It feels like a kart circuit with a lot of very tight corners and the two stadiums are really spectacular with all the fans,” said Nico Rosberg.

Red Bull’s Daniil Kvyat and Daniel Ricciardo were 2nd and 3rd on the time sheets with rain falling later in the afternoon.

Ferrari’s Sebastian Vettel was 4th in the morning and then 5th fastest in the afternoon.

The Formula One Mexican GP schedule, as follows;

Saturday, 31 October, times are CT: