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Formula 1’s
America journey continues with a trip south for the Mexico City Grand Prix,
one week on from the round in Austin. As usual, the atmosphere inside the
Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez will be electrifying because of the exuberance
of the fans who pack the grandstands in the spectacular Foro Solo stadium
section, one of the most photogenic points on the calendar. One can also
describe it as breathtaking because the circuit sits at over two thousand
metres above sea level, which means the rarefied air has a significant
effect on car performance.
For this race, the Pirelli podium cap
feature a bold green base accented by gold embroidery, echoing the green for
its flag, the gold for triumph, and the red for the racing heartbeat of the
capital. It’s a special edition produced by Pirelli Design with creative
input from the designer Denis Dekovic. The cap can be found on its dedicated
e-commerce site at https://store.pirelli.com.
The compounds
As was the case in Austin last weekend, for the Mexican round there is again
a jump in the compound selection between the hardest of the three and the
medium. While the Medium and Soft are the C4 and C5 respectively, as in
2024, the Hard will now be the C2. For the Mexico City track, this compound
is an extremely conservative choice, with a considerable delta in terms of
lap time compared to the other two, while also offering less grip.
Last year, the Soft only came into play in qualifying and then in the race,
only in an attempt to secure the extra point for setting the fastest race
lap, but now the scenario could change considerably. The advantage to be had
from the C4 and C5 could in fact lead the teams to aim for a race run
predominantly on these compounds. However, that comes with the risk of
possibly having to make a second pit stop because of degradation. Anyone
choosing the C2 could relatively comfortably manage a longer stint, going
for a one-stop on the way to the chequered flag, although it entails a
reduction in performance.
The use of the two softest compounds will
certainly be carefully evaluated during the three free practice sessions,
when teams will be able to run long stints with full fuel loads and check
the condition of the tyres. Historically, graining levels in Mexico are
quite pronounced, since the thin air at altitude reduces the amount of
aerodynamic downforce that the cars can produce.
On a track that already
offers little grip due to its limited use, the tyres tend to slide, which
leads to graining. It will also be interesting to see whether the greater
resistance to this phenomenon offered by the current compounds will help
limit it and therefore benefit those who are masters of tyre management.
In 2024
All drivers, except Sergio Pérez, adopted a one-stop strategy last year.
Most started on the Medium compound, while six drivers, all of whom went on
to finish outside the top eleven, preferred the Hard for the first stint.
The most effective strategy, in theory and later confirmed on track, proved
to be Medium-Hard.
No particular tyre management skills were required
to extend the stint on the medium compound, which, in general, showed only a
slight amount of graining and very limited degradation. The longest stint on
the yellow-banded compound was 39 laps from Piastri, while on the
white-banded compound it went as high as 49 laps with Bottas.
The
track
The race is run over 71 laps of the 4.304 kilometres of Mexico City’s
Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez which boasts 17 corners. Its main peculiarity
is its altitude, which at over 2,200 metres above sea level means the air is
very rarefied. Therefore the cars generate less downforce making car set-up
and technical management particularly demanding for the teams.
The
main straight is over 1.2 kilometres long, on which the cars reach very high
top speeds, partly down to the minimal downforce. The track surface is very
smooth, and at the start of the weekend does not provide much grip, as it
does not get much use. Therefore it rubbers-in over the three days, which is
reflected in improved lap times. Drivers will also need to be careful not to
lock up the wheels under braking, due to the tyre surface temperatures
dropping quickly down the two long straights. Because of its unusual layout,
this is also the track where drivers have to change gear the least.
Keyword: Test
The long development and validation
testing programme to define the tyres for 2026 officially ends in Mexico
City. After the Grand Prix, Pirelli will return to the track on Tuesday,
October 28 and Wednesday, October 29, together with the Sauber and Mercedes
teams, for the final test of the softer compounds in the range, ahead of the
definitive validation scheduled for December 15, the constructions having
already been validated on September 1.
The development of the new
tyres took place over 15 test sessions, each lasting two days, held in seven
different countries. Three took place in 2024: in Barcelona (September
17–18) and Mugello (September 8–9) for dry compounds, and in Magny-Cours
(November 13–14) for wet compounds.
The remaining twelve sessions
were run this year, with most of the test days held at Spanish and Italian
circuits. The slick tyres were tested twice in Barcelona (February 4–5 and
June 3–4, after the GP) and once in Jerez (February 12–13), while in Italy
both dry and wet solutions were evaluated. This took place at Fiorano (June
19–20) on an artificially wet track, while at Monza (September 9–10,)
following the Italian Grand Prix and Mugello (September 25–26) the tests
were affected by bad weather, which slightly affected the sessions initially
planned for slicks.
At Paul Ricard (January 29–30) and Silverstone
(May 7–8), the track was also artificially watered to test the Wet and
Intermediate tyres. Pirelli was back at the English track after the British
Grand Prix (July 8–9) to work on the harder end of the slick range, the new
construction for which was developed based on data gathered during the
earlier pre-season tests in Bahrain (March 2–3).
Prior to the
upcoming Mexico test, the softer compounds were also evaluated in Budapest
(August 5–6), in the week after the race. All the Formula 1 teams took part
in the various test sessions, having communicated their availability to the
FIA and Pirelli.
The new 2026 range, which continues to feature
18-inch rims but with slightly narrower tyres, will be tested by all teams
together during the post-season test in Abu Dhabi, scheduled for December
9–10 at Yas Marina, using mule cars to accommodate the new tyre size.
By the numbers
The circuit named in memory of the Rodríguez brothers has hosted 24 editions
of the Grand Prix, twenty – the first in 1963 - going by the name of
“Mexican Grand Prix” and the last four taking their name from the country’s
capital. Max Verstappen is the most successful driver at this track, which
explains why Red Bull is among the teams with the most wins in Mexico, with
five in total (2017, 2018, 2021, 2022 and 2023).
To find the driver
with the most pole positions, one must go back to the 1960s, when Jim Clark,
driving for Lotus, took pole four times between 1963 and 1967. The last two
poles have gone to Ferrari courtesy of Charles Leclerc in 2023 and Carlos
Sainz in 2024. Last year’s race was actually the last time to date that the
Spaniard, now with Williams, won a Grand Prix. The Mexican round has also
been particularly significant for current Ferrari driver Lewis Hamilton, who
celebrated his 2017 and 2018 world titles here, and holds the record for the
most podium finishes in this race with six. |
