As the 2022 Formula One season nears its conclusion, the teams head to Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez for the 22nd Mexican Grand Prix.
Held in Mexico City, the circuit is named after two brothers, Ricardo and Pedro Rodriguez, who died in separate racing accidents while competing on the track. It has one of the most iconic features of any track on the calendar: the inclusion of a baseball stadium.
The stadium, named Foro Sol, was constructed in 1993 on the interior of turn 14 of the grand prix circuit and is the home of the Diablos Rojos del Mexico, a professional team in the Mexican league.
Heading into the Mexican Grand Prix, all eyes are on team Red Bull as both of its drivers have an opportunity to make racing history come Sunday.
For Red Bull’s Sergio Perez, a race win would mean he would become the first Mexican driver to win his home grand prix in the sport’s history. With his third career win earlier this year, Perez is officially the most accomplished Mexican driver in Formula One. But for a driver as passionate about his roots as Perez, winning in Mexico City would likely be a highlight of his career.
Perez, one of only six Mexicans to ever drive in Formula One, made history in 2021 by becoming the first Mexican driver to ever stand on a podium at his home grand prix when he took third behind Red Bull teammate and all-time winningest driver at the Mexican Grand Prix, Max Verstappen and Mercedes’ Lewis Hamilton.
Meanwhile, Verstappen could become the winningest single-season driver in Formula One history with his fourteenth win of 2022 if he is first to see the checkered flag in Mexico.
With both the driver’s and constructor’s championships sewn up for this year by Verstappen and Red Bull, respectively, the team can afford to have an eye on history.
Perez took a new power unit in the previous race, while Verstappen’s current power unit has carried him through the last six grands prix total. Red Bull could decide to overhaul Verstappen’s car in Mexico with a new engine and any other parts, which would put him far down the starting order due to grid place penalties but set him up for a strong push at history on fresh equipment in the final two races.
This move with Verstappen would also allow Perez to fight, completely on his terms, for the race win and could represent the best possible chance for Red Bull to make 2022 one of the all-time dominant performances in the sport.
Mario Isola, Pirelli Motorsport Director, announced that the Formula One tire supplier has selected the middle three compounds from its range of five possible tires for this weekend’s race.
“The Hermanos Rodriguez circuit does not offer a lot of grip, and the energy demands on the tyres are reasonably low, as the cars do not generate much downforce in the thin air at high altitude, especially in slow corners,” Isola remarked. “This year, the circuit might be more front-limited, as the current generation of car tends to understeer through slow corners – which Mexico has plenty of – and this can lead to some sliding on the front tyres.”
Additionally, since rain prevented the testing of Pirelli’s 2023 tires in Japan’s second free practice session, the test will occur during practice this weekend.
While oddsmakers like Verstappen (-175) to make history, Perez finds himself with the second-best odds tied with Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc (+450).
When asked about what a race win at his home grand prix would mean to him, Perez was cagey with reporters, saying, “In the end, I don’t think about it. I think about my job, about being perfect this weekend and looking for that victory.”
Qualifying sessions for the Mexico Grand Prix begin at 3 p.m. CST on Saturday, October 29, while the race begins at 3 p.m. CST on Sunday, October 30.
