Mexican Grand Prix

tooncheese

Hans Heyer
Contributor
With Rumours of Carlos Slim buying out Sauber, a US Grand Prix very soon, it is surely only a matter of time before Formula 1 returns to Mexico. All 15 official Mexican Grands Prix were held at the elegantly named Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez held a non-championship race the year it opened, 1962. The race went well, with Jim Clark and Trevor Taylor sharing a car to victory after Clark was black-flagged for getting a push-start. This was the last time that a car was shared between drivers in Formula 1. Despite the death of Ricardo Rodríguez in practice, Mexico was granted an official Grand Prix in 1963.

The 1963 race went very well, the tough track made for an interesting race, the high altitude and bumpy surface challenged both driver and car, but Jim Clark rose above everyone to win by over 100 seconds. A bit of trivia, Moisés Solana is the only driver to have ever raced with car number 13. His engine failed on lap 57. The 1964 race was even more exciting, three driver could win the title, and it looked as if Clark was going to clinch his second consecutive title, when on the last lap his tired Climax engine gave up the ghost, costing him and Lotus both titles. Until 1970 the race always held the season finale meaning that an exciting race was always available, and often delivered, however in 1970 overcrowding seriously worried the organisers, and the race was stopped seemingly forever.

In 1986 an updated track bounded back onto the scene, with a modern pit complex, and re-profiled corners it was a winner as Gerhard Berger won his maiden race, the first of ten in a fruitful career. Philippe Alliot and Ayrton Senna had big crashes at the scary Peradelta bend, the banked final curve, and especially high retirement rates, even for that period, could have been factors for the circuit’s demise, but it never fully recaptured the drama of its first stint in Formula 1.

It would be unwise to write off the circuit as several times in the last eight years a return to Mexico has been considered but not confirmed. Hopefully we will come back to the home of the Mexican Grand Prix, but until then...

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Great article :thumbsup:

Problem is, Bernie seems more interested in expanding into Asia with races like Korea,India and Abu Dhabi on the calender, and it is a shame as places like Mexico and Argentina aren't on the calender. Also if we did go back to Mexico, a European grand prix would have to go, which one, Hungary?
 
If the Austin GP comes to fruition, then I doubt we will see one in Mexico in the near. Bernie will probably think that a trip north to Texas will probably satisfy the die hard Mexican fans.
 
Those of us who live near Mexico won't be going to the country anytime soon. We read daily about the narco violence, the corruption, the kidnappings for ransom, etc. It is a very dangerous place in the current environment. Visits south of the border were once commonplace for people like me. But, now I avoid the country.

The tourist meccas along the coast are safe, but seeing armed police patroling the beaches with their automatic weapons takes some of the fun away.
 
I am never going there again.I had to go to Sao Paulo on a business trip.Having been met at the airport by the client complete with two armed bodyguards and being taken to his heavily guarded offices in a bullet proofed Merc, I have since declined any further contracts in Brazil.

I lived in Moscow in 1992/93 and that was a pretty lawless place.But never that bad.
 
I have two overiding memories of the Mexican GP. One is Phillipe Alliot's horrific crash in 1988 which he not only survived but he went on to take part in the race (these guys are brave) - if you can track down a video you will understand. The other was when a dog got loose on the track. The organisers, understandably, stopped practice and then went out with a course car to find the dog. Rather than collecting the dog and taking it to a safe place they used the course car to run it over - attitudes to animals in Mexico and Britain are slightly different!
 
FB said:
The other was when a dog got loose on the track. The organisers, understandably, stopped practice and then went out with a course car to find the dog. Rather than collecting the dog and taking it to a safe place they used the course car to run it over - attitudes to animals in Mexico and Britain are slightly different!

What would the Korean stewards do if a similar situation arises during their GP?
 
F1Yorkshire said:
FB said:
The other was when a dog got loose on the track. The organisers, understandably, stopped practice and then went out with a course car to find the dog. Rather than collecting the dog and taking it to a safe place they used the course car to run it over - attitudes to animals in Mexico and Britain are slightly different!

What would the Korean stewards do if a similar situation arises during their GP?

Drivers Buffet?
 
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