Grand Prix 2018 Mexico Grand Prix Practice, Qualifying & Race Discussion

The Mexican grand prix is our next race and you lucky people have got me writing this one up. Good luck to all who carry on reading, you might need it ;)

F1 has long had a stop and start love affair with Mexico City but the Autrodromo Hermanos Circuit once again hosts this race. For those who don't already know, Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez was in part named after two brothers who tragically lost their lives there. Ricardo died shortly after the circuit opened in 1962 and sadly his brother Pedro also died whilst racing some nine years later in 1971 but in Germany. It is located in Magdalena Mixhuca Sports City which is in the south east of Mexico City and is a public park that has been used for other events such as a baseball, the park is also home to the Insomniacs Electric Festival or EDC Mexico, a popular music festival that attracts over 200,000 people.

The thin air in Mexico City can cause problems for both drivers and cars, the speed at which the cars can get up to on the main straight is 370 km/h or 230 mph in old money. It first appeared on the calendar in 1962 as a non championship race before becoming a championship race in 1963. It remained on the calendar until 1970, had a brief reinstatement from 1986 to 1992 before finally returning again in 2015 and has since run to date. During one of the breaks it was used for the Grand Prix Of Mexico Champ Car. Sebastien Bourdais the former Toro Rosso driver apparently won three of the six races held there from 2002 - 2007.

After some speculation in the years beforehand, this race returned to the calendar in 2015. It was probably helped by having two Mexican drivers at that time with Sergio 'Checo' Perez and Esteban Gutierrez. Whilst Gutierrez is now a mere memory Perez is still there plugging away at Racing Point Force India and will no doubt be the busiest man on the grid this race weekend. Perez has never done that well at his home race, he's certainly not made an appearance on the podium so far. Can he do better this year? Somehow I doubt it unless something extraordinary happens ahead of him. Checo has of course been confirmed at Racing Point Force India in 2019 most likely with Lance Stroll as his team mate. His current team mate Esteban Ocon could be doing a straight swap with Stroll by taking his former seat at Williams.

Since 2015 we've had three different winners here, Rosberg in 2015, Hamilton in 2016 and Verstappen in 2017, so will it be a fourth different driver on the top step in 2018? In 2017 your pole sitter was Vettel and the podium was as follows: 1st Verstappen, 2nd Bottas, 3rd Raikkonen.

With only this race and two more this year it’s so far been a season for Mercedes to savour and for Ferrari to wonder where it all went so wrong. A really good race in USA and a rare win by Kimi with Seb 4th and the title goes on to Mexico. Vettel has made some big mistakes, mostly borne out of his desperation to win for Ferrari it seems, whether the pressure on him is coming from himself or the team it’s hard to say, either way it’s not done his racing any good. He did well in Austin though, that pass at the end on Bottas was crucial in some ways. Vettel and Verstappen both have new team mates coming in 2019, I am wondering what, if any, effect that will have on them. I’d like to think it would be positive but who knows?

So it's hello or Hola! to Mexico, slap on your sombrero, let your feet get tapping to the rhythmn of the mariachi bands and let’s hope we all enjoy another good race.
 
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Great Angel , I didn’t know the reason for the stadium name. It’s always really interesting when you start delving around in a circuits history.
Hamilton will surely be crowned WDC at Mexico. But Max is starting to really move up and grasp the nettle, he will surely be a future champion, I really hope we see some more brilliant racing.
 
Pedro Rodriguez actually died at Norisring in West Germany driving a Ferrari 512 in a sports car race. He was forced into the pit wall by a slower car.
His younger brother Richardo was the real star though. Thought of in much the same way as Jules Bianchi in that he was a huge talent that promised so much but was tragically killed too young.

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The 512
 
Pedro Rodriguez actually died at Norisring in West Germany driving a Ferrari 512 in a sports car race. He was forced into the pit wall by a slower car.
His younger brother Richardo was the real star though. Thought of in much the same way as Jules Bianchi in that he was a huge talent that promised so much but was tragically killed too young.

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The 512

Thanks for the info Greenlantern101 , I've edited it accordingly :thumbsup:
 
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If Seb wins the last 3 races Lewis just needs a single 7th place finish to take the championship.

Oddly enough....if the Ferrari is the stronger car at the next three races (as it may have been at the U.S. Grand Prix)...then Vettel may well take three wins. Pretty hard to believe that Hamilton won't get at least 6 points over the next three races.
 
the thing is also 7th in any other motorsport, leaves jeopardy but of all the Red Bull Mercedes & Ferraris that have collided dropped to the back or qualified at back every one I believe has finished in the top 6. because they top 6 need to lose a minute before they could be 7th
 
Even if Red Bull have their best races of the year the worst that will happen to Hamilton is fifth place unless Bottas takes the hump and refuses to let him past. An alternative is that the Honda engine takes a mighty leap forward and pushes Mercedes down two more places.:no:
 
Let's get this straight then, unless Seb, Max or A. N. Other forces Hamilton off the track, damaging his car so badly that he can't race anymore every race for the next three races, with Seb managing to win all three, Hamilton will be champion.
 
I am actually not looking forward to this race because overtaking has proven very difficult in the last few years despite the long straight

Everyone pretty much try and file up and get a tow at the start to throw one down the inside . Last year Vettel came off worse and so did Hamilton, apart from that nothing happens at the front

The stadium whilst great for the fans actually messes up the ability to get close to the car in front and pass even with DRS and with this year's regulations this could be a bore fest
 
[QUOTE="Angel, post: 341113, member: 5634".... with Seb managing to win all three, Hamilton will be champion.[/QUOTE]

Don't forget that Vettel is quite capable of losing the championship by runnung into someone who is not a real threat.
 
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