Verstappen and Norris title hunt hit by fresh challenge at Mexican GP

F1 drivers will be facing tough conditions at this weekend's Mexican Grand Prix, and it may affect some drivers more than others.

The series heads to the Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez for round 20 of the 2025 season, with a three-way drivers' championship battle approaching its conclusion. Max Verstappen heads into the event 40 points behind championship leader Oscar Piastri having won three of the last five grands prix, while Lando Norris is now just 14 points behind his team-mate.

But Verstappen and Norris are two of a whopping nine drivers that are being replaced for FP1 at the Mexican GP this weekend as part of F1's rookie driver rules. And, with unusual conditions present for the drivers, missing an hour's practice may just hamper their preparations for the weekend.

The Mexican GP is the highest track in relation to sea level on the F1 calendar, meaning there is a lack of oxygen available due to the high altitude nature of the event.

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.

This may just make racing the 71-lap Mexican GP a real test for the drivers, and particularly those who have not had the full three practice sessions on Friday and Saturday to prepare.

But the altitude and lack of oxygen can also affect the F1 cars themselves.

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.

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.

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