Formula 1 drivers face a demanding weekend at the Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez, where high altitude, low grip, and turbo lag present unique hurdles. Speaking to Motorsport.com and other media during Thursday’s press day in Mexico City, Red Bull drivers outlined the severe challenges posed by the 2,286-metre elevation.
Extreme Slide and Low Downforce
Drivers anticipate a difficult weekend dealing with reduced grip levels at the high-altitude circuit. While teams traditionally ran Monaco-spec wings to compensate for the thin air in past years, active aerodynamics rules mean cars will have even less scope to make up for the lack of downforce, leading to increased sliding.
Max Verstappen explained that the lack of aerodynamic grip puts extra emphasis on low-speed performance. “Here is a lot less grip. With the altitude, we normally have the wings to compensate a little bit for that, but now you basically just run one wing,” Verstappen said, adding that lower downforce “will already be quite challenging.”
Verstappen noted that Red Bull’s low-speed performance is not exceptionally strong, though the car has performed well at tracks like Singapore and Monaco in the past. Team-mate Isack Hadjar told Motorsport.com that despite resurfacing work meant to improve grip, the circuit will remain extremely difficult to drive.
“Last year, I already felt like I was sliding around a lot with the Monaco rear wing. Now, it’s kind of the same downforce level throughout the year and you’re going to a track like this. It’s going to feel slippery as hell,” Hadjar stated.
Strain on Equipment and Power Units
Equipment reliability is another major concern due to the thin air and demanding layout. Hadjar expects the extreme conditions to place heavy demands on cooling, engines, tyres, and brakes.
“Of course, the conditions for the car, cooling-wise, are going to be very extreme. And for the engine as well, the tyres, the brakes, everything is going to be on fire, even myself in the car probably!” Hadjar said.
Turbo lag also remains a talking point, with George Russell suggesting competitors like Ferrari might hold an advantage due to a smaller turbo. However, Hadjar remains focused on his own team’s performance, pointing to recent strong showings across different track types.
The weekend will also test the Red Bull Ford power unit in high-altitude conditions for the first time. Verstappen noted that drivers have limited ability to influence the situation directly, leaving fine-tuning of engine operation, cooling systems, and brake management as the primary focus for the team.
