The Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez returns for the first time since 1992 to once again give us a Mexican Grand Prix. In its former guise, the circuit was notorious for its high altitude stressing the engines and its bumps and abrasive surface stressing the drivers.
Just like today, when the inaugural Grand Prix was staged, it was late October. The decision to build the track was triggered by the burgeoning success of Mexican Ferrari driver Ricardo Rodriguez. The circuit was placed in Magdalena Mixhuca park in the east of the capital. With Ferrari not attending the inaugural non-championship event in 1962, Rodriguez ran the event in a Rob Walker-run Lotus 24, but was killed when he crashed in qualifying at the daunting final corner – Peraltada.
The next year, Formula 1 arrived in Mexico City and Mexico at least gained a star in the form of Ricardo’s younger brother Pedro. On his second F1 start, he ran in the top ten. Jim Clark won the race by almost two minutes.
In 1964, Mexico City began to host the season finale and Ferrari’s John Surtees became the first world champion on two and four wheels. Richie Ginther took Honda’s first victory in 1965. Mexico held several title deciders and drew a fervent crowd. 200,000 turned out to see the F1 in 1970 and home star driver Pedro Rodriguez. Crowd control was said to be a problem. A dog got onto the track and was hit by Jackie Stewart. This was the last time the race was run until 1986.
The track was revised slightly, but the circuit offered the same type of challenge. Gerhard Berger took Benetton’s first Grand Prix win in the first year back. There were some big accidents over the years. In 1987, Nelson Piquet was first on the road, but Nigel Mansell won the race after the Grand Prix was aggregated after a big smash for Derek Warwick brought out the red flags. Mansell had been 30 seconds ahead at the time of the first stoppage. The event moved from October to May the following year and Philippe Alliot had a massive shunt in practice. In 1991, Senna also had a big one, rolling at the Peraltada in qualifying after losing it on the bumps.
In 1990, the race had moved to June and it was here that the circuit saw Alain Prost manage to charge from 13th on the grid to victory and Nigel Mansell pull off an audacious move on Gerhard Berger around the outside of the banked Peraltada, which caused BBC commentator’s Murray Walker to reach for the high decibels:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V2g1yrGputA
The race in 1992 was the last one to be held until 2015 and took place in March, dominant Williams pairing Nigel Mansell and Ricardo Patrese coming home first and second, with Benetton’s Michael Schumacher completing the podium.
Now, after the absence, Mexico once more has a home hero. Although not a front-runner right now, Sergio Perez has been driving fantastically recently, which is just great timing for the return of the Mexican Grand Prix.
The reprofiled circuit gets rid of the left-right-left sequence that was after Turn 6, while it also sadly loses the infamous Peraltada, replaced instead by a section which winds its way around a baseball stadium. The start-finish straight is extremely long and is followed by a sharp right-hand turn, which is immediately followed by a short left and right at Turns 2 and 3. After DRS Activation on the start-finish straight, the drivers have a second bite of it between Turns 3 and 4, the original activation point serving it.
After left, right and right from Turns 4 to 6, the next stretch is now a straight before some faster and more flowing corners as we enter Sector 2 between Turns 7 and 11. After another straight and then a tighter right at Turn 12, Sector 3 consists of this final baseball stadium section, which completes the lap.
The weather outlook for the weekend looks to be dry at the moment, with temperatures of 20 degrees forecast for race day. In the drivers’ press conference yesterday, drivers didn’t have any surprises to say. Despite being able to run on the circuit in simulators, there is a sense of wait-and-see and quiet anticipation about what Mexico City will offer us this weekend.
http://www.formula1.com/content/fom-...---mexico.html
After winning his third drivers’ championship in the fantastic wet-weather Grand Prix at Austin a week ago, Lewis Hamilton will no doubt be serenely preparing to just go out and enjoy his racing, which will therefore pose an enormous challenge to everyone in his Mercedes, because a happy Hamilton has been delivering the goods all season. It is said that there is once again a bit more needle between him and his team-mate Nico Rosberg after the latter wasn’t pleased with the first corner of Lap 1 in Austin, but it remains to be seen whether Nico can channel that into something productive. Perhaps it bodes well for Nico that he at least battled well with the World Champion during the American race.
Constructors’ championship standings:
http://www.formula1.com/content/fom-...standings.html
Drivers’ championship standings:
http://www.formula1.com/content/fom-...standings.html
Circuit length: 4.304km
Number of laps: 71
Race distance: 305.354km
Dry weather tyre compounds: Soft and Medium
DRS Detection Zone: after Turn 14
DRS Activation Zone 1: part-way down start-finish straight
DRS Activation Zone 2: on straight between Turns 3 and 4
Speed trap: Just before Turn 1
Lap Record: N/A
First World Championship Grand Prix: 1963
First World Championship Grand Prix on current layout: 2015
