[Official] Mexican Grand Prix 2019: Grand Prix Weekend Thread

[Born Racer]

In 2015, the Autódromo Hermanos Rodriguez returned for the first time in 23 years to once again give us a Mexican Grand Prix. This was the second return for the event, after hosting Grands Prix from 1962 to 1970 and 1986 to 1992. In its previous guise, this circuit was notorious for its high altitude stressing the engines and its bumps and abrasive surface stressing the drivers.

Just like today, when the inaugural Grand Prix was staged, it was late October. The decision to build the track was triggered by the burgeoning success of Mexican Ferrari driver Ricardo Rodriguez. The circuit was placed in Magdalena Mixhuca park in the east of the capital, where the race continues to take place today. With Ferrari not attending the inaugural non-championship event in 1962, Rodriguez ran the event in a Rob Walker-run Lotus 24, but was killed when he crashed in qualifying at the daunting final corner – Peraltada.

The next year, Formula 1 arrived in Mexico City and Mexico at least gained a star in the form of Ricardo’s younger brother Pedro. On his second F1 start, he ran in the top ten. Jim Clark won the race by almost two minutes.

In 1964, Mexico City began to host the season finale and Ferrari’s John Surtees became the first world champion on two and four wheels. Richie Ginther took Honda’s first victory in 1965. Mexico held several title deciders and drew a fervent crowd. 200,000 turned out to see the F1 in 1970 and home star driver Pedro Rodriguez. Crowd control was said to be a problem. A dog got onto the track and was hit by Jackie Stewart. This was the last time the race was run until 1986.

The track was revised slightly, but the circuit offered the same type of challenge. Gerhard Berger took Benetton’s first Grand Prix win in the first year back. There were some big accidents over the years. In 1987, Nelson Piquet was first on the road, but Nigel Mansell won the race after the Grand Prix was aggregated after a big smash for Derek Warwick brought out the red flags. Mansell had been 30 seconds ahead at the time of the first stoppage. The event moved from October to May the following year and Philippe Alliot had a massive shunt in practice. In 1991, Senna also had a big one, rolling at the Peraltada in qualifying after losing it on the bumps.

In 1990, the race had moved to June and it was here that the circuit saw Alain Prost manage to charge from 13th on the grid to victory and Nigel Mansell pull off an audacious move on Gerhard Berger around the outside of the banked Peraltada, which caused BBC commentator’s Murray Walker to reach for the high decibels: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V2g1yrGputA

The race in 1992 was the last one to be held until 2015 and took place in March, with dominant Williams pairing Nigel Mansell and Ricardo Patrese coming first and second and Benetton’s Michael Schumacher completing the podium.

On its return in 2015, Nico Rosberg was in his victory streak and led home a Mercedes 1-2 ahead of newly-crowned world drivers' champion Lewis Hamilton. Then-Williams driver Valtteri Bottas survived a crash with Kimi Räikkönen to complete the podium. Sebastian Vettel had a scrappy race, with a spin and a crash which took him out of the Grand Prix.

The following year, Hamilton won from eventual world champion Rosberg. Max Verstappen came home 3rd, but was given a 5-second penalty for cutting a corner and just before getting out onto the podium, was sent back down again, with Vettel replacing him on the final step. Vettel attended that ceremony, but was later given a 10-second penalty for moving under braking when defending from Daniel Ricciardo and he was also stripped off the place. Ricciardo finally took the spot.

Max Verstappen has won the Mexican Grand Prix for the last two years. In 2017, he did it after touching Vettel at the start, Vettel also colliding with Hamilton. Bottas and Kimi Räikkönen completed the podium. Last year, it was Vettel and Räikkönen who came 2nd and 3rd, while Hamilton's 4th place was enough to seal his fifth world championship.

This year gunning for his 6th, Hamilton needs to extend his lead over Bottas by 12 points to 78 for him to do it in Mexico City.

The reprofiled circuit gets rid of the left-right-left sequence that was after Turn 6, while it also sadly loses the infamous Peraltada, replaced instead by a section which winds its way around a baseball stadium. The start-finish straight is extremely long and is followed by a sharp right-hand turn, which is immediately followed by a short left and right at Turns 2 and 3.

After left, right and right from Turns 4 to 6, the next stretch is now a straight before some faster and more flowing corners as we enter Sector 2 between Turns 7 and 11. After another straight and then a tighter right at Turn 12, Sector 3 consists of this final baseball stadium section, which completes the lap. This was very popular among fans last year for the proximity with which fans get close to the circuit and the podium, which overlooks this part of the track.

Circuit length: 4.304km
Number of laps: 71
Race distance: 305.354km
Dry weather tyre compounds: C2, C3 & C4
Race Lap Record: 1:18.741 (2018 - Valtteri Bottas - Mercedes)
First Grand Prix: 1962
First World Championship Grand Prix: 1963
First World Championship Grand Prix on current layout: 2015



To join in our predictions contest and Fantasy F1 contest, go here: https://tentenths.com/forum/forumdisplay.php?f=70

Constructors’ championship standings: https://www.formula1.com/en/results.html/2019/team.html

Drivers' championship standings: https://www.formula1.com/en/results....9/drivers.html

Mexican Grand Prix tyre choices: https://www.formula1.com/en/latest/a...BxP2MBkcv.html

[S griffin]

Great intro as ever BR. Seems that Mansell/Berger clip is played every year we do this thread

[Born Racer]

I always put it. It's a personal favourite Murray moment and I love the sound of that engine.

[Peter Mallett]

And the dulcet tones of the late James Hunt.

[bjohnsonsmith]

Excellent intro as ever.

The big question is, can Lulu win his 6th WDC at the Autódromo Hermanos Rodriguez? He's without his race engineer Peter Bonnington for the Mexican and United States Grands Prix.

[Aysedasi]

Great intro as always. Many thanks

[E.B]

As already said great intro BR, and thanks again.

I see Stroll went into the wall in P1 and brought out a lengthy red.

[wnut]

Thank you for another awesome intro BJ, I thoroughly enjoy them and you never fail to bring new perspectives to the current Grand Prix, thank you for the huge amount of work and time you put in during the season!


I see Lewis is without his usual race engineer this week end, he is apparently having a personal medical procedure!

Getting a racing boot removed from his nether regions after Japan?

http://classic.autosport.com/news/re...ce=mostpopular

[bjohnsonsmith]

Max is on pole but there are claims he ignored the yellow flag, as he crossed the line for his final lap, after Bottas crashed heavily.

Otherwise Ferrari are 2nd and 3rd with Leclerc and Vettel, followed by Hamilton, Albon and Bottas. Sainz, Norris, Kyvat and Gasly make up the top 10.

[steve nielsen]

Originally Posted by bjohnsonsmith

Max is on pole but there are claims he ignored the yellow flag, as he crossed the line for his final lap, after Bottas crashed heavily.

Otherwise Ferrari are 2nd and 3rd with Leclerc and Vettel, followed by Hamilton, Albon and Bottas. Sainz, Norris, Kyvat and Gasly make up the top 10.

a single yellow flag you only see at the end of a corner and no light on the steering wheel yet, also no double waved yellow or yellow at a marshall post before that corner.

[gert]

Originally Posted by bjohnsonsmith

Max is on pole but there are claims he ignored the yellow flag, as he crossed the line for his final lap, after Bottas crashed heavily.

I think it's a fact he ignored the yellow flags. He improved on his last lap. Hard to do that if you lift.
He first lap was good enough for pole though, but still ...

Originally Posted by steve nielsen

a single yellow flag you only see at the end of a corner and no light on the steering wheel yet, also no double waved yellow or yellow at a marshall post before that corner.

Hmm, yes. That's why Vettel lifted.

[S griffin]

Well done to Max on pole. Hope Valterri is ok, he seemed to be quite winded after that

[gert]

Originally Posted by S griffin

Hope Valterri is ok, he seemed to be quite winded after that

At least he got out of the car on his own.

[Akrapovic]

Originally Posted by steve nielsen

a single yellow flag you only see at the end of a corner and no light on the steering wheel yet, also no double waved yellow or yellow at a marshall post before that corner.

Engineer: Be aware, Valtteri has crashed.

Journo: Did you back off?

Max: "it didn't really look like it did it? No."

--

But don't let facts get in the way of the internets.

[steve nielsen]

Originally Posted by Akrapovic

Engineer: Be aware, Valtteri has crashed.

Journo: Did you back off?

Max: "it didn't really look like it did it? No."

--

But don't let facts get in the way of the internets.

That image just confirms what I said, a single yellow(not a double), no yellow lights trackside or on the wheel, no yellows at the marshall posts before that.

[gert]

Originally Posted by steve nielsen

a single yellow(not a double), no yellow lights trackside or on the wheel, no yellows at the marshall posts before that.

So? That means you just can carry on at full speed and ignore that yellow?

[Akrapovic]

Originally Posted by steve nielsen

That image just confirms what I said, a single yellow(not a double), no yellow lights trackside or on the wheel, no yellows at the marshall posts before that.

Not sure we agree on what the word "confirm" means, but that's cool - you do you, etc.

Yellow flag. Radio call. Debris. Car in the wall. But is it a crash? Who knows!

[steve nielsen]

Originally Posted by Akrapovic

Not sure we agree on what the word "confirm" means, but that's cool - you do you, etc.

Yellow flag. Radio call. Debris. Car in the wall. But is it a crash? Who knows!

as it does confirm eactly what I said I think you better look up that word


I only see a slingle yellow flag there, nothing else

it was not even a double yellow flag

[bjohnsonsmith]

Originally Posted by steve nielsen

a single yellow flag you only see at the end of a corner and no light on the steering wheel yet, also no double waved yellow or yellow at a marshall post before that corner.

The single yellow is not at the end of the corner. A single waved yellow flag means slow down, a double waved yellow warns that the driver must be prepared to stop if necessary.

[steve nielsen]

Originally Posted by gert

So? That means you just can carry on at full speed and ignore that yellow?

You do know how late you see that yellow flag in that corner?

[steve nielsen]

Originally Posted by bjohnsonsmith

The single yellow is not at the end of the corner.

You still don't see it until the last moment

https://youtu.be/rUtxxUaCIpo?t=70

[gert]

Originally Posted by steve nielsen

You do know how late you see that yellow flag in that corner?

Does that even matter? Even if he lifts only at the moment he crosses the guy holding the flag (for which he may get excused) he won't be able to improve his lap.

He didn't even lift when he crossed the flag post.

[steve nielsen]

[gert]

Originally Posted by steve nielsen

You still don't see it until the last moment

https://youtu.be/rUtxxUaCIpo?t=70

I must admit, I didn't see a yellow flag in that clip.
Then again, I didn't see Verstappen either.

[gert]

Originally Posted by steve nielsen

That is proving nothing, only that he didn't improve on his previous effort. Even +0:0.001 would give a yellow square.
The purple number for Sector 3 gives away that he didn't lift.