Mexico City Grand Prix: pre-stage comments

Pirelli

Mario Isola: “Formula 1 makes its second stop on the American tour in Mexico City at the circuit of Pedro and Ricardo Rodriguez. The brothers were local motorsport heroes in the 1960s and 1970s.

The track is located in the western part of the city at an altitude of more than two thousand meters, its length is only four kilometers, with 17 turns. The high altitude above sea level has a noticeable effect on cars: air resistance and downforce are reduced. As a result, the car’s aerodynamic settings are the same as on high-downforce circuits, but with much less impact on the tires.

The grip on asphalt is also well below average, as the abrasiveness of the surface is one of the lowest of the season.

This year we decided to bring the three softest connections to Mexico City: C3, C4 and C5. The decision was made based on a thorough analysis of the information carried out last year and the simulation results provided to us by the teams. As a result, there should be more race strategy options, including a two-pit stop option. Last year we had trains C2, C3 and C4, and almost all of them ran the race with one stop, mainly with Soft and Medium.

In Mexico City, all teams can evaluate the new C4 lineup. During the Friday training, each driver will have access to two trains, which he can use at his own discretion. We will analyze all the information collected and decide whether to homologate this version for the 2024 season or not.”

Red Bull racing

Max Verstappen: “There is always a great atmosphere at this circuit. The team has a great history in Mexico. In the last two years I have won this race twice and Sergio has been on the podium twice. This is his home race, so it’s very important for us.

The Mexico City circuit is the highest altitude of the season, which increases the stress on the car, but the RB19 worked flawlessly in all conditions. Curious to see how we perform this time.

I’m glad this weekend will happen as usual. After Austin it is clear that the battle will be intense, but our goal is to keep winning.”

Sergio Perez: “The stage in Mexico is the most important for me, I am looking forward to the home race. Already in Austin I felt strong support, and I can’t even imagine what awaits me in Mexico.

We’ve made progress with the car, but haven’t been able to fully demonstrate it due to a settings error last weekend.

I look forward to this week with optimism, we know which way to go. We need to solve a few problems with the car and get back into the fight in better shape. I want the Mexicans to come and support the entire Oracle Red Bull Racing team, not just me.”

Mercedes AMG Petronas

Toto Wolff: “We left Austin with mixed feelings. Positive results include the fact that we have been able to take a step forward in terms of speed with new products. We were fast all weekend – we were inspired by the battle for victory.

Negative results include the fact that we were unable to translate speed into results. It hurts to lose the podium – this is not the situation we wanted to be in. We were overwhelmed by the difficulty of the sprint weekend and the bumps on the track, but rules are rules. We will draw conclusions and add. Now it’s time to prepare for the next race.

Mexico City always has exciting weekends. The fans are very passionate and energetic. The difficulty of the route lies in the fact that it is high above sea level. This has serious consequences for the way we work with the car – in Mexico City it is always difficult to find the optimal settings. But we will be able to test the new car properly and see how the new products perform on a circuit with different characteristics. This will prove useful for learning and developing W15.

Finally, Frederic Vesti will participate in the first training. He will get behind the wheel of one of our cars as part of the rule, according to which the team must conduct two training sessions with a newcomer. He has proven himself in Formula 2 and I am confident he will do a great job for the team.”

Aston Martin

Interview: Lance walk

Ferrari

Frederik Vasseur: “We left Austin with a different result from the finish. This allowed Carlos Sainz to take a place on the podium, which was well deserved given the way he ran the race. In addition, the team earned several points in the battle for second place in the Constructors’ Championship. However, in Mexico City I want to see the team more focused. We can’t afford to make mistakes during the race like we did in Austin.

The high altitude of the Mexican circuit makes the race unique because several aspects of the car are affected: from pure speed to the handling of the tires. Next weekend will follow a standard schedule, which will allow us to work on the car in three sessions.

I am confident that we will develop the right strategies to get the best out of ourselves in a race that, in theory, is expected to be difficult. All of us, including Carlos and Charles, must be ready to seize every opportunity.”

Carlo Santi, racing engineer: “The location of the Mexico City circuit at high altitude affects the downforce settings. Even though the settings are at maximum, the pressure level is about the same as in Monza at ‘normal’ atmospheric pressure.

Low atmospheric pressure has a significant impact on the cooling of the machine, as the thin air causes the cooling efficiency to be much lower than normal. To compensate for this, the most powerful cooling configuration of the season is used.

In Mexico City, the grip on the circuit is the lowest of the season due to the aforementioned low downforce and the fact that the circuit is little used during the year. Low grip makes it difficult for drivers as they try to drive as fast as possible while being very precise to avoid locking the wheels while braking, turning and sliding in corners, leading to overheating of the tires and further loss of grip .

When choosing the settings, we aim to ensure that the car is easy to drive and behaves predictably, even if this means sacrificing some speed. To help Carlos and Charles, we will have a more balanced car at the start of the weekend.”

McLaren

Lando Norris: “Next race in Mexico City! I look forward to returning to this city and the coming weekend. Another stage awaits us with a great atmosphere and the fans are always full of enthusiasm. The unique thing about the track is that it goes through a baseball stadium, which is fun to drive.

The stage in Austin went well for me. A fourth podium in a row in the 100th race of my career is a pleasant achievement. We have improved significantly in recent months and will continue to do our best to continue to earn points.”

Oscar Piastri: “After another challenging weekend in Austin, I’m looking forward to heading to Mexico City. It’s incredibly motivating to know that I could have done well in Austin if it hadn’t been for the incident on the first lap.

There are still four stages before the end of the season, for which I have prepared a lot on the simulator. I am ready to put the knowledge I have gained into practice and get back into the battle for points.”

Andrea Stella, team leader: “The Grand Prix of Mexico City is always looked forward to. The fans and organizers create a great atmosphere and the course itself is challenging, resulting in exciting races.

We said earlier that the upcoming races will be difficult for the team, but in the US Lando finished second. This shows that we have a strong team that does their job well. We know that we must keep attacking if we want to fight on the front lines. We are fully focused on achieving this goal.”

Alps

Interview: Pierre Gasly | Esteban Ocon

Williams

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Haas F1

Interview: Nico Hulkenberg | Kevin Magnussen

Alfa Romeo

Valtteri Bottas: “The stage in Austin turned out to be difficult. It was especially unpleasant after the finish, when, thanks to a revision of the results, our rivals earned points and rose slightly in the constructors’ championship. But hope is not lost: despite the lack of speed, the car drives well, and we liked the Mexico City circuit last year.

Four more stages follow, including one with a sprint, in which many points are awarded. The gaps are minimal and just a few thousandths of a second can guarantee access to the qualifying final. If we do everything right, we will improve our starting positions and increase our chances of points on Sunday.”

Guanyu Zhou: “There’s no doubt that the weekend in Austin was disappointing. We hoped to maximize the potential of the updates, but we couldn’t. The team has been working hard in recent days to understand what went wrong and what needs to be done to perform better next weekend. I believe we have the potential to come back soon.

Last year I had a blast in Mexico City; the passionate fans know how to party. Looking forward to returning this weekend. The stage will be held in a standard format with three training sessions, which will allow you to get to know the route and prepare for the decisive sessions. I am confident that if we prepare well, we can get back into the points.”

AlphaTauri

Daniel Ricciardo: “It was great to race again for the first time since the end of August, especially at a track that I love so much. It was nice to confirm that I had recovered from the accident and was physically ready to fight.

I enjoyed the race, although not always everything went smoothly, especially when the car suffered damage that negatively affected its aerodynamics. But I am confident that we can hope for points in the remaining races.

Mexico City has a unique route. Due to the high altitude above sea level there is not enough clutch, all cars behave nervously, but it is what it is. I love this place and this track, just like Austin. It presents us with unique challenges that, if you approach them the right way, we can bounce back.

The first sector is very fast, but as you enter the next part, even the first few corners and the chicane, you have to attack the curbs. If you attack too aggressively it will negatively affect the lap time, if you go slower you will lose a lot of lap time.”

Yuki Tsunoda: “I’ve earned points in three races in a row, so Austin can be considered one of my favorite tracks!

All team members on the track and at the base do their best. And the points in Austin were a nice reward for us.

I couldn’t believe it when the radio told me that I had done the best lap of the race on the last lap. I’ve never done this before. It’s nice that when two riders were disqualified, we were able to take advantage of it.”