There ain't no circuit high enough, 
Ain't no downforce low enough, 
Ain't no corner wide enough, 
To keep me from getting to you.  

The Mexico City Grand Prix is quite literally a high point of the season, not just because we love the city’s vibrant atmosphere and the Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez's punishing nature, but because it is more than 2,000 metres above sea level.   

We’re into the second leg of a triple-header in the Americas, and as always, we’ve spoken with Lando, Oscar and Team Principal Andrea Stella to get their thoughts on the race, and complied a guide to the circuit and the city. We’ve also packed our preview full of juicy facts and details on our latest merch drop.

Critical info

Round	20
Where	Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez
When	27 - 29 October
Lights out	20:00 MTC / 14:00 local
Follow	The website and the McLaren App for LIVE commentary and team radio

“Mexico City up next! I’m looking forward to returning to Mexico this weekend. It’s another one where the atmosphere is buzzing, and the fans are always out in full force. It’s also unique in the way the circuit goes through the baseball stadium, which makes it fun to drive.

“Austin was really good for me. Achieving my fourth podium in a row in my 100th race was a nice feeling. We’ve made a lot of improvement over the last couple of months, and we’ll continue to do our best to keep bringing home the points.”

“After a more difficult race weekend for me in Austin, I’m excited to be heading to Mexico. It’s incredibly motivating to know that we were on course to have a good race, had it not been for the Lap 1 incident.

“We have four more races left this season, and I did a lot of preparation work in the sim ahead of this triple-header. I’m ready to put it all into practice on track and get back to fighting for good points.”

Hitting new heights

Sitting 2,285 metres above sea level, the Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez presents a special type of challenge.

The circuit's high altitude means that there is around a quarter less oxygen in the air, which affects the driver’s energy levels and can leave them feeling pretty exhausted by the end of the weekend.

There is also an impact on the car: less power is produced, and this requires the turbo to work much harder to ensure there’s no drop off in the pressure of air being fed into the engines. The lack of air also means there’s an increased demand on the cooling systems, too. On track, there’s less downforce generated, and this means less grip for the cars to cling on to, meaning the engineers have a lot to think about.

However, there is one key benefit, with fewer air particles in the way, the drag on the cars is lower, and this allows for faster speeds: it’s not uncommon for cars to hit 320km/h down the 1.2km main straight, which can produce some spectacular looking overtakes going into Turn 1. The fighting doesn’t stop at Turn 1, with tyre-to-tyre battles continuing through the next two corners, into Turn 4, a heavy braking zone, and then through a left-right section.

Last time out

Lando scored his fourth podium in as many races in the US Grand Prix, finishing second after Lewis Hamilton was disqualified. The British racer started from second and leapt ahead of Charles Leclerc at the beginning of the race, before crossing the line behind Hamilton and race winner Max Verstappen.

On the other side of the garage, Oscar was unfortunately forced to retire on Lap 10 due to a water leak in his MCL60, ending a run of three consecutive top 10 finishes. Our results in Austin saw us overtake Aston Martin for fourth in the Constructors' standings.

"The Mexico City Grand Prix is always one a lot of people look forward to. The fans and organisers create an incredible atmosphere, and the circuit itself makes for a challenging yet exciting race. We’ve said before that these next few races will be more difficult for us, but the United States GP result, with Lando’s P2, has shown that we have a strong team who have done, and keep doing, a good job. We know we’ve got to keep pushing if we want to make it to the very front of the field, and we are all absolutely focused on achieving that goal."

Stat pack

• The Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez was opened in 1962 in the Magdalena Mixhuca Sports City, which hosted several Olympic events during the 1968 Summer Olympics
• Drivers pass through an old baseball stadium, the Foro Sol, which was home to the Diablos Rojos del México
• The circuit is 2,285m above sea level
• We are the joint second most successful team in Mexico with three wins
• Our first win in Mexico came courtesy of Denny Hulme in 1969
• Alain Prost (1988) and Ayrton Senna (1989) also won for McLaren in Mexico
• Lando charged from 18th to 10th in the 2021 Mexico City Grand Prix
• The Mexico City Grand Prix will be Lando’s 101st F1 start
• Lando has scored podiums in six of his last nine races and is on a run of 10 consecutive top-10 finishes - his joint-highest run in F1
• This will be Oscar’s debut at the Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez
• Oscar has scored two podiums in his last three races and has scored points in six of his last nine races

Set your alarms

Free Practice 1	14:30 ET / 19:30 BST / 05:30 AET
Free Practice 2	18:00 ET / 23:00 BST / 09:00 AET
Free Practice 3	13:30 ET / 18:30 BST / 04:30 AET
Qualifying	17:00 ET / 22:00 BST / 08:00 AET
Race	16:00 ET / 20:00 GMT / 07:00 AET

Setting the scene

Mexico City is a spec-taco-ular location. For regular readers of our previews, it will shock no one that we’re excited for the food in Mexico, with tacos, enchiladas and quesadillas all on the menu over the next few days. We’ll also be tucking into some warming pozole and dipping everything we can in guacamole.

But the city has much more to offer than food alone. The city’s sunrises are stunning, the parties are vibrant, and the streets are brimming with history, with more than 50 museums and a gorgeous historic centre.

The Fit: Spice up your style

We hooked you up with Allens Boots for your one-off US Grand Prix fit, but look no further than the McLaren Store for your Mexican style for this weekend’s Mexico City Grand Prix. With two spicy Mexican-themed tees, a hoodie, and a matching hat to choose from, you’ll be looking hot all weekend long.

Plus One

There’s a saying in Las Vegas that “What happens here, only happens here,” but the Las Vegas Grand Prix is the most hotly anticipated in years and being there will be easier said than done.

Thanks to our friends at Hilton, we'll be making that possible for two lucky fans. We'll be giving you the chance to win the trip of a lifetime, with Grandstand access to all three days of racing and a four-night stay at Virgin Hotels Las Vegas, Curio Collection by Hilton. We’ll also make sure you’re dressed to impress, with a merchandise bundle signed by Lando and Oscar.