Mexico City GP

• Track features

  The Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez is great for overtaking opportunities, which really gets the passionate Mexican crowd on their feet.  

  The action begins at the first turn - a heavy braking zone that directly follows a 1.2km straight, which can see drivers reach 320km/h - and continues through the next few corners. After the slipstream-friendly straight has bunched up the field, the first three turns take drivers right, left and then right again before another heavy braking zone at Turn 4, giving them a second overtaking opportunity.  

  The circuit’s most famous section arrives at Turn 12, when the drivers weave through an old baseball stadium, the Foro Sol, previously home to the Diablos Rojos del México. What this section lacks in overtaking opportunities, it more than makes up for in the party atmosphere created by the surrounding fans.  

  But neither of these provides as big a challenge for the drivers as the circuit’s altitude. At 2,285m above sea level, the Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez is the highest point of the calendar by some distance. The lack of oxygen in the air, around a quarter less due to the high altitude, makes for an exhausting 71 laps. 

  The air is also less dense, and this impacts aerodynamics - with less downforce and grip being generated - and cooling, with the thinner air not able to cool down the car as quickly.

• What's it like in Mexico?

  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.

• F1 icebreaker

  Stuck for conversation with your F1-loving friends? Spark up a discussion with our F1 icebreaker…

  The Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez was opened in 1962 in the Magdalena Mixhuca Sports City, which hosted several Olympic events during the 1968 Summer Olympics.