Formula 1 Mexico City Grand Prix event guide
Max Verstappen may be the current king of Formula 1, but he will be in Sergio Perez territory at the Mexico City Grand Prix this weekend.
Perez will be the darling of the almost 400,000 fans that will pack out the Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez.
Although the undisputed home hero is local Perez, it is Verstappen who has dominated on the track.
Download the full Formula 1 Mexico City Grand Prix event guide HERE with track stats and facts and a full event schedule, plus our extensive driver profiles.
The Dutch driver has won four of the last five Mexican Grands Prix with the Red Bull well suited to the high altitude track even when it was far from the dominant car.
Verstappen’s run kicked off in 2017 when a fast start shot him past poleman Sebastian Vettel, while the following year he jumped teammate Daniel Ricciardo after the Australian edged him out to score his third and latest pole position.
Max Verstappen leads the field into turn one at the start of the 2022 Mexican Grand Prix. Photo by Sam Bloxham / LAT Images
Only the dominant Lewis Hamilton and Mercedes W10 brought the run to the end before the Dutchman returned to winning ways after the COVID break.
With Verstappen nursing braking issues and still doing the Sprint and Grand Prix double at COTA, yet another Mexican triumph appears a near certainty.
But with the track being 2km above sea level at high altitude, it is always one of the toughest tests on machine of the year with the engines fighting for air.
Despite a disrupted history, it is one of the more historic tracks on the calendar having first held a championship Grand Prix in 1963 won by Jim Clark’s Lotus.
Since its return in 2015 after 23 years away, it has quickly cemented itself its own niche on the F1 circus.
Oscar Piastri is ready for his first Mexican Grand Prix.Image:LAT Images
Massive crowds can be seen all around the track and most notably in the old Foro Sol baseball stadium where the podium is held and cars navigate a tight hairpin section before returning to the back end of the old Peralta corner.
Whilst McLaren headed to COTA with brilliant momentum as the undisputed second fastest team, that is now more unclear despite Lando Norris still finishing second.
In fact it was Lewis Hamilton and the upgraded Mercedes that had the greater pace to challenge Red Bull.
Ferrari and Charles Leclerc also snatched pole but strategy hurt the #16’s campaign.
Daniel Ricciardo celebrates snatching pole from Max Verstappen at Mexico in 2018. Photo by Mark Thompson/Red Bull Content Pool
In the end both Hamilton and Leclerc were disqualified due to its rear skids being deemed illigal.
The United States Grand Prix proved to be a tough time for Australians Oscar Piastri and the returning Daniel Ricciardo.
Both lost ground in Sunday’s main race and will be determined to bounce back.
The weekend will be a return to the traditional weekend format of three practice sessions, qualifying and the single race, at breakfast time Monday morning.
Download the full Formula 1 Mexico City Grand Prix event guide HERE with track stats and facts and a full event schedule, plus our extensive driver profiles.
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