by John N October 26, 2022, 9:35 pm inUncategorized

Team News Ahead Of 2022 Mexico Grand Prix

What tires will the teams and drivers have?

Formula 1 head to the Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez this weekend for the Mexico City Grand Prix, and Pirelli, have announced the tire compounds the teams will call on for the race meeting.

F1’s Official tire supplier has confirmed that the teams will be able to use the three tire compounds in the middle of their range – with the white-marked C2 hard tire (x2 sets), the yellow-marked C3 mediums (x3 sets) and the red-marked C4 soft tire (x8 sets) available this weekend – as seen last time out in Austin.

And as was done in Austin, Friday’s second practice session will once again be extended from 60 to 90 minutes to test 2023 slick tire prototypes (with unmarked sidewalls), helping Pirelli to fine-tune the compounds before teams get their hands on the definitive versions after the season-ending Abu Dhabi Grand Prix.

Pirelli will again set the run plan for the session, which will be entirely devoted to tire development, with the caveat that teams who use a rookie driver in FP1 can run their program for some of FP2 before concentrating on the test.

Pirelli’s Motorsport Director Mario Isola said: “Over the course of a season, our tires have to cope with a wide variety of conditions depending on the individual characteristics of each venue. If you look back at the last two races, Suzuka was all about lateral forces, and Austin was well-balanced aerodynamically, but Mexico this weekend focuses on traction and braking.

“The Hermanos Rodriguez circuit does not offer much grips, and the energy demands on the tires are reasonably low, as the cars do not generate much downforce in the thin air at high altitude, especially in slow corners.”

He added: “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 tires.

“Due to the nature of the venue, the circuit tends to feature a dusty surface with plenty of track evolution. Understanding this and getting the tire warm-up right is likely the key to success.”

What time is the 2022 Mexico City Grand Prix?

Last year’s race saw Max Verstappen take victory ahead of Lewis Hamilton and teammate Sergio Perez – in the Dutch driver’s third victory in Mexico. Hamilton is the only other driver on the grid to win in Mexico City – having won the event twice.

On Friday, the action will get underway with FP1 and FP2 – the second practice being extended from 60 to 90 minutes to allow for some extra testing of Pirelli’s 2023 tire compounds. Saturday will feature FP3 and qualifying before the Mexico City Grand Prix on Sunday.

What’s the weather forecast for the 2022 Mexico City Grand Prix?

After Red Bull clinched the constructors’ title last time out in Austin, they come to a track they know well, having previously won three times in Mexico – including last year when Max Verstappen beat Lewis Hamilton to claim victory.

Red Bull will also be looking to extend their run of wins, having won eight consecutive Grand Prix in a row – with Verstappen having won seven of those races and now chasing the outright record for most wins in a single season, having tied with Michael Schumacher and Sebastian Vettel on 13 last time out.

The weather forecast suggests a chance of rain over the three days, but we can expect sunny spells throughout the weekend.