Red Bull seems to have an advantage
After a strong period for Mercedes, Red Bull seems to have regained momentum in the last Grands Prix. Verstappen now has a 12-point gap with Lewis Hamilton, the biggest lead since the summer break. And the next two races also look good for Verstappen. Mexico and Brazil are planned.
Next weekend it’s time for the GP of Mexico. The Mexico City race is always a unique event and not just because the track cuts through a former baseball stadium. A determining factor in this circuit is the height. The city is 2,240 meters above sea level and is therefore the highest track on the F1 calendar.
Why Red Bull is probably stronger
If you stand more than 2 kilometers above the sea, the air is a lot thinner than in our polders. Since F1 cars are actually wings on wheels, the aerodynamics are greatly affected by the lack of airtightness. So at the Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez you have to put more aerodynamics on the car to have the same amount of downforce. And that is precisely the area where Red Bull is generally strongest.
But it’s not just the wings that suffer from the thin air in Mexico. The engine will also gasp for air with all its might. In the past we saw that the stronger engines from Mercedes were less able to use their power and therefore had less advantage. This means that Mercedes’ trump card has been eliminated.
In 2017 and 2018, Max Verstappen already won the Mexican GP for these reasons. The race in 2019 went less well for the Dutchman. Now he is again the favorite for a win. Although the home crowd will of course cheer harder for Pérez.
Dates and times of the 2021 Mexican GP
Friday November 5, 2021
1st free practice: 6:30 pm – 7:30 pm
2nd free practice: 10pm – 11pm
Saturday November 6, 2021
3rd free practice: 6:00 PM – 7:00 PM
Qualification: 9:00 PM – 10:00 PM
Sunday 7 November 2021
Race: 8:00 PM
