Lewis Hamilton talking with Max Verstappen in Singapore — Photo: © IMAGO

Mexican Grand Prix

Hamilton and Verstappen to face car PROBLEMS at Mexican GP

The Mexican Grand Prix can cause problems with F1 cars due to altitude

Sam Cook Digital Journalist

Sports Journalist who has been covering motorsport since 2023

Friday 25 October 2024 11:56 Updated: 13:21

Formula 1 heads to Mexico City this weekend for the 20th round of the 2024 season at the Mexican Grand Prix.

Max Verstappen heads into the weekend with a healthy championship lead of 57 points over nearest rival Lando Norris.

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Norris' spluttering US GP allowed the Dutchman to get even further ahead with a sprint race victory and a main race podium.

Seven-time world champion Lewis Hamilton suffered a horror weekend, qualifying down in 18th before spinning out of Sunday's race on lap three.

As the drivers head to Mexico City, they are likely to have yet another problem to worry about when trying to get the best out of their car setup. Altitude.

The Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez sits 2300 meters above sea level

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How does altitude affect F1 cars?

Altitude can affect different F1 cars in different ways, which may allow us to see a shake-up of the competitive order at the Mexican GP.

The lack of oxygen available in high-altitude locations affects aerodynamics, power units and, vitally, the ability to cool the car.

In terms of aerodynamics, the amount of drag affecting an F1 car in these conditions is much lower, allowing for a higher top speed along long straights.

However, this also means lower downforce (a reduction of around 25% compared to other circuits), so grip can be difficult to find. Bad news for Hamilton, whose pushing too hard in Austin saw him spin off the track on a couple of occasions throughout the weekend.

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The effects of altitude on the power unit has reduced in modern-day F1 due to the arrival of the turbocharger, which allows more air to be pumped into the engine.

However, there is still a sizeable reduction in power unit output which can be counteracted by the lower drag, still allowing for rapid top speeds.

Some engine manufacturers are able to fare better than others in these conditions, depending on the size of their turbo and the layout of their power unit system.

The ability to cool the power unit is also hampered by the decreased oxygen levels in high altitude conditions, due to the lack of mass flow of air needed to cool such an expansive piece of kit, and overheating brakes can also be a problem for similar reasons.

Mexican GP altitude problems

The Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez is located in Mexico's capital city, Mexico City, which is around 2300 meters above sea level.

The next highest track on the F1 calendar is Interlagos at 800 meters above sea level, making Mexico by far the most challenging from an altitude point of view.

Mexico's track has an ambient pressure of just 780hPa, which is around 20% less than at sea level, meaning a noticeable drop off in the amount of oxygen available.

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Written by

Sam Cook - Digital Journalist

Sam Cook is a talented young sports journalist and social media professional who now specialises in Formula 1, having previously worked as a football journalist and a local news reporter for a variety of different brands.

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Max Verstappen Lewis Hamilton Ferrari McLaren Lando Norris Mexican Grand Prix