After the United States Grand Prix, the second leg of Formula 1’s American tour will take place in Mexico City, before the circus moves to São Paulo to conclude the penultimate triple-header of the season. On the circuit named after the brothers Pedro and Ricardo Rodriguez, Pirelli has decided to bring the C3 Hard, C4 Medium, and C5 Soft tires, one step softer than in the past, as was the case last year, a decision made to open up more strategic options for the race.
The first day of track practice, Friday, October 25, will be slightly different than usual. The second free practice session will be entirely dedicated to validating the softer tires in Pirelli’s 2025 range (C4, C5, and C6). The session will last 90 minutes instead of the usual 60, and all drivers and teams will have to follow a specific program set by Pirelli’s engineers. In addition to the specific dry tire allocation for the Grand Prix (two sets of Hard, three of Medium, and seven of Soft, one fewer than usual), each driver will have two additional sets of tires: one identical to those available for the weekend to serve as a baseline, and the other a 2025 prototype in terms of both compound and construction.
The program to follow is very restrictive. Two fast stints and one long run must be completed, with each team covering the same number of laps and carrying the same amount of fuel depending on the stint being run. However, drivers who do not participate in FP1 because they are replaced by rookies are excluded from this Pirelli work. In their case, the work with Pirelli will last only 60 minutes, and they will have a set of Medium compound tires to make up as much as possible for the time lost during the first session of the weekend.
The Hermanos Rodriguez circuit is 4,304 meters long, features 17 corners, and has a surface that is not particularly demanding on tires. This year, the promoter resurfaced the section between Turns 12 and 15 in the third sector. The very smooth asphalt and the fact that the track is not used much means that grip levels are quite low at the start of the weekend, with significant track evolution as rubber is laid down as the cars run.
Mexico City is located over 2,000 meters above sea level, and the thin air affects the cars’ performance, reducing the downforce generated by the vehicles. One consequence is that top speeds are very high, despite a configuration that seems typical of tracks requiring maximum downforce. The speed record was set here in 2016 by Valtteri Bottas driving for Williams-Mercedes, clocking 372.5 km/h. Additionally, on the longest straights, the main straight and the one between Turns 3 and 4, tire surface temperatures tend to drop quite quickly, and drivers must be very careful when braking, especially into Turn 1, to avoid locking up and damaging their tires.
In terms of strategy, this is usually a one-stop race. Last year, most drivers tried to manage the Mediums to extend the first stint as much as possible. A Safety Car and a subsequent red flag after Kevin Magnussen’s off-track incident with the Haas meant that almost the entire grid used three sets of tires in a race practically divided into two parts.
Formula 1 has always been very popular in Mexico, even though only 23 championship races have been held here, all on this circuit, which opened in 1962. The races have taken place in three periods: from 1963 to 1970, from 1986 to 1992, and from 2015 onwards. In 2021, the Mexican Grand Prix was renamed after the city.
In the 23 editions of this race, there have been 15 different winners. Max Verstappen is the most successful driver with five wins, with his team Red Bull achieving the same number of victories in the team standings. Jim Clark holds the record for the most pole positions (four), while Lewis Hamilton has stood on the podium most often, with six appearances. Among constructors, Lotus, with 6 poles, has secured the most victories, while Ferrari leads the podium standings with 12 wins.
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