Mexican Grand Prix 2017: Preview and Weekend Times

Opening hours

Friday October 27

Free 1: 17-00 (Sky Sport F1 HD – RaiSport 1/Rai Sport HD)

Free 2: 21-00 (Sky Sport F1 HD – RaiSport 1/Rai Sport HD)

Saturday October 28

Free 3: 17-00 (Sky Sport F1 HD – RaiSport 1/Rai Sport HD)

Qualifying: 20pm (Sky Sport F00 HD – Rai 1)

Sunday October 29

Race: 20pm ̶ 00 laps ̶ 71km (Sky Sport F305,354 HD – Rai 1)

* all times indicated refer to Italy: there is a 7 hour difference between Italy and Mexico.

Previous race

The trip to the eastern hemisphere opened in style for Lewis Hamilton, winner of the United States GP and now undisputed leader in the general classification, with a 66-point advantage over his rival Vettel. The German, on the podium together with Lewis and his teammate Kimi, did what he had to do without any mistakes, aware however of being in front of, or rather, behind, a faster car. More was not possible, now arrived in Austin. However, the penalty immediately after the checkered flag against Max Verstappen, author of a textbook overtaking on Raikkonen, was avoidable. Not even the Finn on the podium seemed too happy with the Commissioners' decision. And between long faces and bittersweet second places, Hamilton in Texas has already begun the celebrations, with Mercedes crowned world champion in the Constructors' Championship.

Predictions from F1GrandPrix.it

Technically the German from Ferrari is still fighting for the 2017 championship, although a fifth place in Mexico would be enough for Hamilton in Mexico (if Vettel were to win) to become world champion for the fourth time. It's good to know and not delude yourself. The Briton's state of grace now seems confirmed, and between now and the end of the year we know that he will not be content with being ahead. Becoming champion as champion, that is, winning all the remaining races, is his goal now that the numbers allow him to sleep a little more peacefully. Vettel will obviously want to do the same: if the World Championship is now an increasingly dim light at the end of the tunnel, the word 'end' will only be uttered at the end. In short, the fact that perhaps we already know the name of the future world champion does not mean that the fight on the track is over. In Mexico it will certainly be another great three-way challenge, with Red Bull always ready to throw itself into the fray, to the delight of the fans.

Circuit

Name: Hermanos Rodriguez Autodrome

Place: Mexico City, Mexico

Construction: The circuit was built in the early sixties, in the wake of local enthusiasm for the local favorites, the Rodriguez brothers. Unfortunately the older of the two, Ricardo, was killed in a tragic accident on this very track, in a race not valid for the championship. formula 1 in 1962. His brother Pedro, younger but equally talented, raced in numerous editions of the Mexican GP but never managed to take a victory. Unfortunately he also died in 1982 in a car race in Germany, and the circuit has been named after them ever since. Sixteen editions of a grand prix have been held on this track formula 1: from 1963 to 1970 and from 1986 to 1992, before returning to the calendar in 2015. On the occasion of the recent return to the calendar, the track has undergone substantial changes, especially to the last corner, which was shortened to favor a section of the circuit entirely inside a stadium, where the podium is also located. Truly spectacular!

Distance per lap: 4,304 km

Number of curves: 17, ten on the right and seven on the left

Direction of travel: clockwise

Technical data:

Aerodynamic Load:	Low	Medium	High
Throttle opening: 50%
Fuel Consumption per Lap: 1,41 kg/rev
Full speed: 360 km/h
Safety Car possibilities: 100%
Pit lane travel time with stop: 23 seconds
Overtaking possibilities:	Easy-to-use	Medium	Difficult
Winners from Pole Position: 9 out of 17 editions on this track
Worst Starting Position for a Winner: thirteenth (Prost 1990)

Characteristics of the Track: given that the track is located at 2000 meters above sea level, there are problems that only arise on this track. Cooling is very difficult especially on a very clear day, and requires special devices designed specifically for this track. The rarefaction of the air is also an important factor to take into account for the aerodynamic structure: in fact here we see wings with much higher incidence, to compensate for the low density of the air. Although the number of gear changes per lap is just 47, in the 71 laps scheduled the drivers will use the gearbox approximately 5.540 times: one of the highest number of gear changes of the entire season. The hourly average of this track is around 217 km/h.

Brakes:

Circuit Category:	Light	Medium	Hard
Number of Brakes: 16
Time Spent Braking: 27% of the lap
Energy Dissipated in Braking During the GP: 244 kWh
Total Load on the Brake Pedal during the GP: 67.876 kg
More challenging braking: the first braking at turn one

Rubber:

Tires 2015:	ultrasoft	supersoft	Soft Drinks	Medium	Hard
Tire Stress	1	2	3	4	5
Lateral stresses	1	2	3	4	5
Abrasiveness Asphalt	1	2	3	4	5
Grip Asphalt	1	2	3	4	5
Total number of Pits 2016: 28
Winning Strategy 2016: Soft (17) -> Medium (54) Hamilton
Longest Stints 2016: Supersoft 23 Laps (Kvyat) – Soft 34 Laps (Kvyat) – Medium 69 Laps (Ericsson and Palmer)

DRS zone: on the main straight, between turn 17 and turn 1 (with detection point before turn 15) and between turn 3 and turn 4 (with the same detection point).

Previous Editions

Last 2 Editions:

2015 edition: Just before the start of the weekend, Haas, a team that will debut in 2016, announces that it has hired driver Esteban Gutiérrez as Romain Grosjean's teammate. Another novelty is the circuit, extensively renovated and 4.304 meters long, with a suggestive passage inside a stadium. In the first phase of FP1 the meter made the track damp and the riders took to the track with intermediate tyres. At the end of the session Max Verstappen (Toro Rosso) preceded Daniil Kvyat (Red Bull) and Kimi Räikkönen (Ferrari). In the afternoon's FP2, the times began to drop thanks to the dry conditions, and the Mercedes di Nico Rosberg preceded the two Red Bull by Kvyat and Daniel Ricciardo. Finally, in the third Free Practice on Saturday morning, the situation did not change much regarding the top 3, with Lewis Hamilton who replaced Kvyat in second place. Qualifying: it's an exchange of words between the drivers Mercedes, with Rosberg leading Q1, while Hamilton drops below the 20 minute and 2 mark in Q3. At the end of Q160, however, Rosberg grabbed pole position with a flash, leading Hamilton by XNUMX thousandths, third Sebastian Vettel. Race: Nico Rosberg holds the top of the group, resisting Lewis Hamilton's attack at the start. Sebastian Vettel suffers a puncture from Daniel Ricciardo, and is immediately forced into the pits, while Fernando Alonso he retires after just one lap due to an engine problem. On lap 21 Kimi Räikkönen, having moved up thanks to the pit stops of the other drivers, was in sixth place when he was attacked by Valtteri Bottas at turn 4. The two collided, with the Ferrari driver forced to abandon. Between lap 25 and 28 Ricciardo and the two Mercedes drivers go to change tires. The ranking always sees Nico Rosberg in command, ahead of Lewis Hamilton, then Kvyat, followed by the duo from Williams, who overtook Ricciardo. On lap 51 a mistake at turn 7 causes Sebastian Vettel to go wide and end his race. The final laps saw position changes only behind the Mercedes duo: Nico Rosberg took his 12th career victory ahead of Lewis Hamilton and Valtteri Bottas.

2016 edition: “Mexico and clouds” for the first free practice session on Friday, with the riders having to face low temperatures and a rather dirty track. Hamilton, with a compound disadvantage, gets the better of Vettel and Raikkonen. In Free Practice 2 the cold is still the protagonist, with Vettel taking advantage of the thermometer to win the first day. Hamilton's Mercedes is just 4 thousandths behind, followed by Rosberg's. Fourth time for Raikkonen. On Saturday morning the Red Bulls wake up, with Max Verstappen the fastest ahead of Hamilton and Ricciardo. Rosberg was fourth ahead of Bottas and the two Reds, having a bit of difficulty with the softer compound. Qualifying: the two Mercedes make up for it in the afternoon by taking home the front row, with Lewis Hamilton taking pole position. The two Red Bulls placed behind them, with Verstappen ahead of Ricciardo. Nico Hulkenberg slips among the big names with his Force India, keeping Raikkonen, Vettel, Bottas, Massa and Sainz behind him, completing the first five rows. Race: Hamilton gets off to a ferocious start and, despite a block shortly after the start, maintains the lead. Rosberg immediately had to defend himself from Verstappen who forced him to cut the chicane after a slight contact. But then the safety car immediately comes in: Wehrlein, Ericsson and Gutierrez touch each other, with the Manor ending its race on the first lap. Ricciardo takes advantage of the opportunity to change tires. Hamilton precedes Rosberg, Verstappen, Hulkenberg, Kimi, Massa, Vettel, Bottas, Perez, Sainz and Alonso on the track. On lap 4 the safety returns. On lap 13 Verstappen stops in the pits, while Ricciardo has already climbed up to ninth place. Massa and Hulkenberg are also in the pits. Sainz gets a 5 second penalty for a contact with Alonso at turn 3 at the start. On lap 17 Hamilton is still in front, followed by Rosberg, Kimi, Vettel, Bottas, Perez, Ricciardo, Verstappen, Hulkenberg. Alonso enters to change tires and Hamilton follows him; he returns fourth behind Vettel. On lap 32 Vettel pitted. Hamilton returns to the lead followed by Rosberg, Verstappen, Ricciardo, Kimi, Vettel, Hulkenberg, Bottas, Massa and Perez. On lap 45 Kimi is back in the pits and returns seventh. Rosberg is struggling with the lapped ones and Verstappen then takes advantage: he passes him, but a block ruins his move and he goes back behind the German. With ten laps to go Hamilton continues undisturbed ahead of Rosberg, Verstappen, Vettel, Ricciardo, Hulkenberg, Kimi, Bottas, Massa and Perez. Vettel approaches Verstappen... Ferrari tries to overtake, Verstappen ends up in the grass, Vettel passes, but the Dutchman goes out in front of him again. Over the radio they tell him to return the position but he turns a deaf ear. Ricciardo takes advantage of this to get closer and in turn attempt to overtake Vettel, who however resists. Lewis Hamilton crosses the finish line and wins his 51st victory in F1. Followed by Rosberg, Verstappen, Vettel and Ricciardo. The Dutchman is reached on the back podium by the decision of the Race Direction: 5 second penalty for not having given back the position. Vettel thus runs to celebrate together with the two from Mercedes.

RECORD

Test lap: 1:18.704 – L Hamilton – Mercedes – 2016
Race lap: 1:20.521 – N Rosberg – Mercedes – 2015
Distance: 1h40:31.402 – L Hamilton – Mercedes – 2016
Driver victories: 2 – J Clark, A Prost, N Mansell
Team victories: 3 – Lotus, McLaren, Williams
Driver Pole: 4 – J Ckark
Pole team: 6 – Lotus
Best driver laps: 3 – J Clark
Best team laps: 4 – Lotus
Driver podiums: 4 – D Hulme, A Senna, N Mansell, R Patrese
Team podiums: 10 – Brabham

Hall of Fame

1. 1963 J Clark – Lotus
2. 1964 D Gurney – Brabham
3. 1965 R Ginther – Honda
4. 1966 J Surtees–Cooper
5. 1967 J Clark – Lotus
6. 1968 G Hill – Lotus
7. 1969 D Hulme – McLaren
8. 1970 J Ickx – Ferrari
9. 1986 G Berger – Benetton
10. 1987 N Mansell–Williams
11. 1988 A Prost – McLaren
12. 1989 A Senna – McLaren
13. 1990 A Prost – Ferrari
14. 1991 R Patrese – Williams
15. 1992 N Mansell–Williams
16. 2015 N Rosberg – Mercedes
17. 2016 L Hamilton – Mercedes

Sources: Brembo, Pirelli