Formula 1 returns to Mexico City this weekend for one of the most distinctive races on the calendar, with the Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez providing a challenge unlike almost anywhere else in motorsport.
Sitting more than 2,000 metres above sea level, the home of the Mexican Grand Prix combines extraordinary speeds with reduced aerodynamic grip and one of the most atmospheric stadium sections in F1. But Mexico’s place in F1 stretches back more than 60 years, with the race surviving tragedy, lengthy absences from the calendar and major changes to the circuit.
When did the Mexican Grand Prix begin?
The Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez was built in 1959 inside Mexico City’s Magdalena Mixiuhca sports complex, with F1 cars first racing there in 1962, although the inaugural event did not count towards the World Championship.
That weekend was overshadowed by tragedy when Mexican rising star Ricardo Rodríguez was killed during practice after crashing at the fearsome Peraltada corner.
The first World Championship Mexican Grand Prix followed in 1963, with Jim Clark dominating for Lotus. Clark won by more than 100 seconds and would triumph again in 1967 as Mexico became a regular part of the championship calendar during the 1960s, frequently occupying one of the final rounds of the season.
The circuit was eventually renamed Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez in honour of Ricardo and his older brother Pedro, Mexico’s first two international motor racing stars.
Why did F1 leave Mexico?
The original Mexican Grand Prix remained on the calendar until 1970, when concerns surrounding crowd control contributed to the event losing its place on the schedule. F1 finally returned in 1986 following extensive work on the circuit.
That second era produced several memorable races, including Gerhard Berger’s maiden F1 victory for Benetton in 1986, before Nigel Mansell provided perhaps the most famous moment in the circuit’s history four years later. Battling Berger during the 1990 race, Mansell swept around the outside of the Austrian at the daunting, banked Peraltada – an overtake that remains closely associated with the old circuit.
Mexico disappeared from the calendar again following the 1992 race and would not return for another 23 years.
F1 returns to Mexico
The Mexican Grand Prix made its long-awaited comeback in 2015 following a substantial redevelopment of the circuit. While much of the original layout remained recognisable, one significant change transformed the character of the lap.
The old Peraltada was effectively divided, with cars instead routed through the former baseball stadium before joining the remaining section of the famous corner. The change removed one of F1’s most intimidating bends but created something equally distinctive.
The stadium section quickly became one of the most recognisable sights on the modern calendar, with thousands of supporters surrounding the cars as they negotiate the slow sequence of corners. Nico Rosberg won the comeback race for Mercedes ahead of Lewis Hamilton. Since 2021, the event has officially been known as the Mexico City Grand Prix rather than the Mexican Grand Prix.
Why is the Mexican Grand Prix so difficult?
Altitude is the defining characteristic of the Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez, which sits around 2,200 metres above sea level and is comfortably the highest venue on the F1 calendar. Thinner air means cars produce less aerodynamic downforce than they would with the same wing settings at a circuit closer to sea level. Teams therefore run extremely high-downforce configurations, yet the cars can still reach remarkable speeds along the circuit’s long straights because there is also less aerodynamic drag.
Cooling is another concern, with the reduced air density making it more difficult to control temperatures in the power unit and brakes. The modern circuit measures 4.304km and contains 17 corners, with the Grand Prix contested over 71 laps. There is also an unusually long run to the opening corner, with pole position around 830 metres from the Turn One braking point, making the start one of the most important and unpredictable moments of the race.
Hamilton, Verstappen and Perez make history
Mexico has played a significant role in several modern championship stories, including Lewis Hamilton securing the 2017 World Championship despite finishing ninth following first-lap contact with Sebastian Vettel. Hamilton repeated the achievement a year later, finishing fourth to become a five-time world champion, while Max Verstappen has since become the most successful driver in the event’s history with five victories in Mexico City.
Verstappen’s 2021 victory also produced a landmark moment for the home support as Sergio Perez finished third for Red Bull, becoming the first Mexican driver to stand on the podium at his home Formula 1 race. He repeated the result a year later. His 2022 victory was his 14th of the season, setting what was then a new record for the most wins by a driver in a single F1 campaign.
A circuit unlike any other
Few races combine history, technical difficulty and atmosphere quite like Mexico City. The terrifying original Peraltada may have been largely consigned to history, but the stadium section that replaced it has given the circuit a new identity. The track remains closely linked to the Rodríguez brothers whose names it carries, while the altitude creates engineering problems teams encounter nowhere else to the same extent.
More than six decades after Jim Clark won Mexico’s first World Championship Grand Prix, Formula 1 continues to return to one of its most unusual venues, with the Mexico City Grand Prix contracted to remain on the calendar until at least 2028.
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