Mexican Grand Prix Preview

The much anticipated return to the Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez is just around the corner. For the first time since 1992, Formula One cars will fly around the Mexico City circuit in anger, but it is now an altogether new challenge.

The first headache the teams will face is the compromise between straight line speed and downforce. The 1.2km pit straight is expected to see cars hit Monza-like speeds of around 215mph, but the rest of the circuit requires high speed downforce through the Esses as well as traction through the chicanes and newly designed stadium section.

The pit straight itself will be an issue. The circuit sits 2,285m above sea level, therefore the air is thinner and the turbos will face less air resistance, which is why the cars are expected to be so fast this weekend. However, it might raise reliability concerns amongst some teams.

Finally, the remnants of Hurricane Patricia, the same storm that caused a scheduling nightmare in Austin, could still play a part. Chances of rain are most definitely present, but long delays like we saw last weekend are less likely as the storm is decreasing in intensity. If the rain comes however, then we are right back at the US Grand Prix where we can throw the form guide out of the window.

Should it stay dry, however, you cannot look far past Mercedes for victory in a straight fight, which we expect it to be since the asphalt is freshly laid down and tyre wear shouldn’t be an issue with the soft and medium tyres. So where does that leave Ferrari? While I expect them to be stronger in the new stadium section, given their impressive traction, they could be spending their time playing second fiddle to the Silver Arrows.

But don’t expect another race where you have to look further down the field for a fight. Now that the constructor’s and driver’s championships have been sealed, Nico Rosberg won’t have a second thought in fighting his team mate harder, rather than letting Hamilton get the better of him like we saw in Japan and Austin. Rosberg has been on strong form in qualifying lately, but he needs to carry that momentum into races.

Williams ought have a great weekend here. Under ordinary circumstances they will be flying down the pit straight with tremendous speed, thanks to the low-drag philosophy their car is designed with. But should the rain intervene then they may find themselves in another awkward situation where they simply do not have the grip to maintain performance.

In the midfield, Force India will be kings. Their car has looked quick at every track since introducing their B-spec car, and Sergio Perez will have the home crowd on his side. Nico Hulkenberg will want to keep his nose clean for this race. Once again in Austin, a double points opportunity for the team was missed after the German’s collision with Daniel Ricciardo. The car is capable of consistent top 7 finishes, but the drivers need to get it to the flag first.

Red Bull will suffer down the pit straight. Like they did at Spa, they may try to trim the wings to reduce drag and make them faster on the straights. The chassis is strong enough that it will still be competitive in the high downforce sections of the track. After their performances in Austin though, everyone at Red Bull, Toro Rosso and McLaren will be doing rain dances.

As always, we will be live tweeting qualifying and the race at @InsideLine_F1.

#f1