The second round of the American “triple-header” brings Formula 1 down south to the vibrant city of Mexico City, where the Mexican Grand Prix is set to take place this weekend at the 4.304-kilometre Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez. One of the standout features of the Mexican track is its unique location, sitting at an altitude of 2200 meters above sea level, which presents distinctive challenges.
Despite the circuit’s two long straights, teams typically opt for medium and high downforce setups to compensate for the thin air at this high altitude. This poses greater stress on the engines, with some power units, like Honda’s, performing well in such conditions while others, such as Ferrari, struggling at high turbo speeds.
After a lengthy streak that began in Austria, McLaren has finally managed to surpass Aston Martin in the standings, and the battle for second place is becoming increasingly intense, despite the strong showings of the Mercedes W14 in recent rounds.
The traditional F1 format returns, offering engineers three practice sessions to fine-tune their setups before qualifying.
Mexican GP: McLaren and Mercedes Set to Battle for Second Position – Ferrari’s Performance Uncertain
As witnessed frequently since the summer break, McLaren and Mercedes have been the main contenders trailing behind Red Bull. Recent data analysis even indicated that Lewis Hamilton had a faster race pace than Max Verstappen.
The Mexican Grand Prix will reveal how much of Mercedes’ performance was related to its ground clearance, offering a different challenge for the team and its updated W14 single-seater.
According to information gathered by formu1a.uno, Red Bull and McLaren brought more conservative setups to protect the undertray. While the MCL60 has typically been two or three-tenths slower than the RB19 on race day, this weekend, the drag on the McLaren might be less prominent, potentially benefiting Norris and Piastri.
The circuit layout features three sectors that divide the track effectively. Sector one includes two long straights, emphasizing DRS efficiency. The second sector starts with a slow section before speeding up in a snake-like sequence, requiring drivers to optimize lap times by using the curbs. The last sector is the most technical, with low speeds around 65 km/h.
The Maranello team is coming off a less-than-stellar weekend in terms of the SF-23’s performance. While they secured fourth place in Texas and Losail, it was a far cry from their strong showings in previous races. Assuming no major surprises in the remaining races, Frederic Vasseur’s team should maintain its third place in the constructors’ standings. The key now is maximizing the SF-23 car’s performance in this final rounds of the 2023 Formula 1 season, while focusing on the project for next year.
Ferrari has demonstrated the ability to perform well in certain conditions but has struggled with consistency, unlike Red Bull. The Mexican circuit is rear-limited, featuring many slow corners and significant straights. These characteristics should align with the Maranello car, but the high altitude will also influence the setup decision, presenting engineers with a dilemma.
The track’s limited power necessitates high-load rear wings, placing a greater emphasis on the engines during the main straights.
In this regard, top speeds might deviate from what we’ve seen this year, with Ferrari not having access to all the horsepower from Power Unit 066/7, unlike in 2022 when the ‘intermediate’ range of compounds was introduced. This weekend, Pirelli has chosen to provide the softer C3, C4, and C5 compounds.
The low grip on the asphalt, stemming from its reduced roughness, sets the stage for more diverse strategic options, as indicated by Pirelli.
During Friday’s practice, each driver will receive “two sets of prototypes of this new compound (C4) to use as they wish. After analyzing the data, a decision will be made on whether to approve this version for 2024.”
Graining, a phenomenon seen frequently on this track during the race, occurs partly because the tires experience greater slipping due to the higher altitudes. The weather forecast indicates a dry weekend, with temperatures reaching around 25°C and minimal chances of rain.
Mexican GP: Mercedes and Aston Seek Further Data on Their Updates
The performance of the W14 saw a significant improvement in COTA’s high-speed corners. Toto Wolff confirmed this during his post-race analysis.
Since the summer break, the gap to the RB19 in these sections has narrowed. In Austin’s first sector, Hamilton averaged just half a tenth slower than Verstappen. The Mexican Grand Prix, a strong race for the W13 last season, offers an opportunity for Brackley’s engineers to confirm these improvements. The altitude will also mitigate the W14’s top-speed limitation. However, whether this will be enough to counter Red Bull and Verstappen’s dominance will only become clear on Sunday.
Aston Martin’s new floor will be put to the test during free practice for the Mexican GP, following Lance Stroll’s promising performance last Sunday. Stroll was closely matched with Alonso throughout the race, which bodes well for the Silverstone team. On the other hand, the updates on the VF-23 did not yield the desired results for Haas on their home turf. Hulkenberg and Magnussen will again evaluate their new upgrades in Mexico, gathering data that will be crucial for informing the team’s direction for the VF-24 in 2024.
According to the pre-race pace simulations, Mercedes should be Red Bull’s main rival in the Mexican Grand Prix. McLaren and Ferrari should be close, though, according to Spanish journalist Albert Fabrega. Alpine is predicted to be ‘Best of the Rest’. Aston Martin might suffer unless they ace the setup!
Source: FDataAnalysis
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