Race Week in Mexico
Mexico Grand Prix Weekend Warmup:
About the Grand Prix: The first Formula 1 Mexican Grand Prix occurred in 1963 at the Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez in Mexico City. The circuit was named after Mexican racing brothers Ricardo and Pedro Rodríguez. Both were talented drivers who met tragic deaths. Ricardo Rodríguez, one of Mexico's most promising drivers, died during a practice session at the track in 1962, and the venue became a memorial to him.
The Mexican GP quickly gained a reputation for exciting races and large crowds. It was part of the Formula 1 calendar from 1963 to 1970 when it was dropped. The race briefly returned from 1986 to 1992, but the Grand Prix made a prestigious return after a proper redesign by Herman Tilke in 2015. The Mexico GP is one of the most loved races on the calendar, with enormous crowds and massive local support.
About the Circuit:
The Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez is a seventeen-corner permanent motor racing circuit 4.304 km (2.674 miles) long. Known for its iconic “Stadium Section” and one of the longest straights on the calendar, the circuit is very, very fast. The track is located at an elevation of over 2,200 meters (7,350 feet), which significantly affects car performance—the thin air results in lower downforce and cooling challenges for the cars. The race is 71 laps long.
Weekend Highlights: Mexico will be spicy. As we enter round 20 of the 2024 F1 championship, the second leg of the triple header, the intensity is turned all the way up. Driver's titles are intense; Verstappen and Norris battled all weekend, and Haas jumped VCARB in the constructors. Ferrari is still knocking at both doors, and it is two more weeks before we get to take a breath. Intensity will play a part in every race remaining this season. McLaren is on the brink of history, while Max Verstappen and Red Bull are fighting for their lives, all while Ferrari is still lurking in the shadow, waiting to strike as it did. The pressure is on, and it's up for grabs. This is what F1 racing is all about.
MCLAREN. We might have experienced the 2021 Abu Dhabi title-deciding moment at COTA. Lando Norris's costly and debatable penalty during an exhilarating battle with Max Verstappen for the final podium spot in Austin could have cost him the driver's title. Just a step on the backfoot, Mclaren started the weekend off slower and quickly found speed but only walked away with a third-place sprint race podium; I know the team wanted more. I see a quick turnaround for McLaren and a quick return to Mexico's top step.
Red Bull. A home race for Sergio Perez is a must for him to finish well in front of his home crowd. Vibes will be high around Checo, but performance matters only when this weekend ends; it's critical for a strong finish. Overall, Max had a solid weekend. He won the sprint, finished on the podium, and, most importantly, extended his lead on surging Lando Norris. Every strong performance by Max increases Lando's chances of winning the title. Max needs a few more strong weekends, and the title will be wrapped up. Mexico is a significant favor-shifting opportunity to take the momentum heading to close out the triple header. Mexico is pivotal to the Red Bull team.
Ferrari. What a weekend to remember for Ferrari. I don't know if anyone expected Ferrari to dominate COTA, but Ferrari took off from the rest of the field and seized a commanding one-two finish. The speed should transfer well to Mexico City's circuit. Ferrari has been hanging out with the title contenders all season but has yet to be able to produce consistently in a few key races. Ferrari could seriously swing title favorites with more performances like this during the triple header.
Mercedes. Mercedes has been a difficult team to read all season long, with some weekends looking like the old dominant impeccable Mercedes of the late 2010s and then fumbling weekends in a non-Mercedes manner. A traditionally strong track for Mercedes, Lewis Hamilton's entire weekend was not typical for Hamilton, starting from the back of the grid after a botched qualifying and then beaching his Mercedes on the gravel during the race. The team walked away with fifteen points after a double-point sprint race and a solid race by George Russell, starting from the pit lane and finishing sixth. I would still like to see at least one more victory from Mercedes before the end of the season. The drivers are comfortable in sixth and seventh, and the team in fourth in the titles; some movement is possible in the driver's standings, but everything from here out would be style points, making a statement that Mercedes is back contending for race wins, a good tone to set with a major transformation of the team coming in 2025.
Aston Martin. A weekend in no man’s land, Aston Martin did not have a competitive car at COTA. I expect Aston Martin to bounce back some in the second weekend of the triple header. With their positions mostly confirmed in the constructor's title and Alonso’s driver titles, the eyes are on Lance Stroll as he battles Nico Hulkenberg for tenth in the driver's title, with a current margin of four points in Nico’s favor. One good weekend could change Lance’s season significantly.
Haas was the most impressive team on the grid all weekend in Austin. Will this translate into Mexico? Haas is currently a wagon. If Haas can duplicate this weekend one or two more times, the team will solidify its best finish in the constructors championship since 2018. I see no reason why Haas will not continue to perform for the remainder of the season.
VCARB. Liam delivered in a highly anticipated debut. There is nothing else to say other than that he drove an overall great weekend, with a quick two-points ninth-place finish. Even with the positive weekend, the more significant point is Haas taking over sixth place in the constructor's title. VCARB needs to respond quickly in Mexico because Haas seems to be firing on all cylinders.
Williams. Colapointo did it again. Franco is a magician who makes magic happen; he has something special going on. Alex felt a step off the entire weekend, and a rough start to the grand prix fizzled out any hope. Albon needs to make a statement, and if Franco has the momentum, Williams might spark an internal battle during the remainder of the year.
Alpine. Another almost. Gasly started sixth after a strong qualifying but could not keep it in the points. This is the fourth consecutive pointless race for Alpine. A highlight was Esteban Ocon's capturing the fastest lap at the end of the race. Williams extended the points lead after Colapintos's single-point takeaway, now four. But after the surprising qualifying, one race could change a lot for Alpine.
Stake-sauber. I don't know why the team is so far behind, but there is very little hope around a point finish before the season ends. With both drivers potentially not on the grid next season, Bottas and Zhou would prefer these not to be their last potential F1 races. It's tough to watch for both of them. I hope there is something positive during this final segment of the 2024 season.
FP1 Driver Substitutions:
Robert Shwartzman - Stake Sauber
Felipe Drugovich - Aston Martin
Oliver Bearman - Scuderia Ferrari
Kimi Antonelli - Mercedes AMG
Pato O’Ward - McLaren
