5 things you should know if you are going into the race

The Mexico City Grand Prix is ​​one of the most popular races on the Formula 1 calendar. A festival atmosphere and a track that feels like being in a stadium combine to create great races.

In 2021, the title fight between Mercedes Lewis Hamilton and Red Bull Max Verstappen is so close and so much is at stake that the excitement should go through the roof.

The tension on the grid is mounting and the stakes are high in the last five races of the season. These are the stories that are expected to take center stage when the cars hit the Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez Circuit.

The high altitude of Mexico City could benefit the Honda engine. Will Mercedes be able to keep up with Red Bull?

Start of the F1 Grand Prix of Mexico at the Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez on October 27, 2019 | Peter J. Fox / Getty Images

Mexico City is near 7,500 feet above sea level. That doesn’t help the turbo engines in Formula 1. Engines need air, and the thinner atmosphere at high altitudes will mean everyone has less horsepower.

Another consideration is to keep the engines cool. Tightly packed and pushed to the limits of technology, F1’s V6 turbo engines run a lot of cooling. The high altitude air means that less of it flows through the radiators, and that could mean a disaster for some teams.

Mercedes GP won the race for the last time in 2019, but Red Bull triumphed in 2017 and 2018. While the Red Bulls used Renault power during this time, the Honda F1 engine will be superior to the Mercedes at high altitude.

Mercedes made a few changes to its engine to improve its low air pressure performance. These changes happened at the US Grand Prix in Austin.

According to Motorsport.com, Mercedes GP team driver Valtteri Bottas said of the engine optimizations: “For Mexico we know that it was usually a small weakness for us, and it feels like a pretty big chunk.” [of that] became in recent years from the power plant with great height. But I think we have been able to optimize a lot since then, so I would expect us to be better off than in previous years. “

It will be interesting to see which team will come out on top in Mexico as the Brazilian GP is another high-altitude track and this could be a preview of what’s to come. Regardless, neither team leaves anything to chance. Expect all teams’ engine performance to be a major talking point of the weekend.

Sergio Perez ‘Home Grand Prix: Motivation to win will be high, but will team commands come first in the battle for the championship?

Sergio Perez from Mexico and Red Bull Racing watch in the paddock during the preview of the F1 Grand Prix of Mexico at Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez on November 04, 2021 | Mark Thompson / Getty Images

Mexican Formula 1 fans have been waiting for this race for two years. Local hero Sergio Perez will fight to win this Grand Prix in front of an enthusiastic and supportive crowd.

He’s in a car and with a team that gives him a chance to win, and this year’s Red Bull is his best chance at making the top step of the podium.

While Perez is on the hunt for fame, teammate Max Verstappen will ponder the bigger picture of the championship. With only 12 points ahead of rival Lewis Hamilton, Verstappen will not want to do without anything in the fight for the title. Team orders could be the focus in Mexico if Perez has to step aside for Verstappen’s championship bid. It would be a decision that would not go down easily with the home crowd.

It would be hard to imagine that Red Bull could deny the Mexican a home win, but Red Bull – and all the teams – have to watch the long game.

As Red Bull and Mercedes are involved in an epic battle for the drivers ‘and constructors’ championship, every point and every finish counts. The teams will weigh the best result for their championship competitions against their drivers’ position on the track. It is in these debates that we can change the order.

The rivalry between Verstappen and Hamilton will intensify, but neither driver can afford to make mistakes or be involved in an on-track impact

Lewis Hamilton from Great Britain with the (44) Mercedes AMG Petronas F1 Team Mercedes W12 leads Max Verstappen from the Netherlands with the (33) Red Bull Racing RB16B Honda during the F1 Grand Prix of the USA at the Circuit of The Americas on October 24, 2021 on | Chris Graythen / Getty Images

The championship’s two great protagonists will face each other hard in Mexico, but neither Hamilton nor Verstappen will get carried away and cause another clash.

Verstappen, who preferred the race, seems like a good bet if the checkered flag is flying. He carries a lot of momentum from racing at COTA and will strive to place some extra points between him and seven-time champion Hamilton.

Opposite him is a determined Hamilton. He’s had an easy run for his last couple of championships, but this year fighting Verstappen will mean he’ll have to turn up the heat to win an unprecedented eighth championship. Hamilton needs to get out before Verstappen as early as possible to ensure he has an advantage over his rival on the track.

Both drivers were guilty of aggressive driving this year and neither will want to repeat the pattern and end the race by landing in the crash barriers. They vowed to compete cleanly and avoid any unnecessary contact, but when the traffic light turns green and the adrenaline starts pumping, anything can happen.

Avoiding contact, running flawlessly and gaining position on the track will be the key to both drivers’ races. Any small mistake could end the championship fight prematurely as DNF or a penalty could make the start of the final races of the season difficult.

Ferrari will be firing at McLaren as the battle for third place in the Constructors’ Championship heats up with just 3.5 points between the two teams

Lando Norris from Great Britain with the (4) McLaren F1 Team MCL35M Mercedes leads Charles Leclerc from Monaco with the (16) Scuderia Ferrari SF21 during the F1 Grand Prix of Bahrain on March 28, 2021 | Lars Baron / Getty Images

Both Ferrari and McLaren have resurrected this year. McLaren took their first win in years thanks to a great drive from Daniel Ricciardo and Ferrari seems to have found a bit of the mojo it has lost over the past couple of seasons.

Only 3.5 points separate these major rivals in the Constructors’ Championship, and with millions of dollars at stake from Formula 1 everyone will seek the upper hand.

Ferrari appeared to be the stronger team in the last few races, outperforming McLaren at Cota and the Turkish Grand Prix. Don’t expect McLaren to give up without a fight, however. Ricciardo has been in shape lately and could wipe out any momentum Ferrari has built.

Ferrari’s dynamic duo of Charles LeClerc and Carlos Sainz Jr. seem to be the stronger pair, however. They’re both extremely fast, close together, and most importantly, constant. And it is the consistency that keeps the points going.

In a season marked by a battle for the championship title, the battle in midfield is just as gripping and just as exciting. Ferrari and McLaren are both positioning themselves to return to their former greatness, and this battle for third place in the Constructors’ Championship will set the tone of their rivalry for years to come.

A passionate audience ensures one of the best party moods on the Formula 1 calendar

Max Verstappen from Red Bull Racing leads the field at the Formula 1 Grand Prix of Mexico at the Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez on October 29, 2017 in the first lap through the stadium section | Will Taylor-Medhurst / Getty Images

With so much action on the track this year, it’s hard to imagine anything that can beat the fierce battles between drivers. The Mexican fans, however, have a knack for making the Grand Prix more than just a race.

The Mexico City circuit has a unique layout of Turn 1 and Turns 4-6, lined with grandstands that feel more like a stadium than a racetrack. The close proximity of fans and cars creates a very special and energetic atmosphere.

The last section of the track is a real stadium, and the noise of the crowd with its sea of ​​colors creates a spectacular backdrop for a Grand Prix. It is possible to justify a trip to the race just to experience the energy of the crowd.

Few other races on the calendar make fans as integral to the action as Mexico City. With a promise of good weather and tight races, the 2021 Mexico City Grand Prix should go down as one of the best fan experiences of the season.

Related: Why Formula 1 drivers like Lewis Hamilton and Sergio Perez have the strongest necks in all sports