Lewis Hamilton has one hand on the championship trophy. Will he seal the deal at Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez again?
Plus, the fall-out from Renault’s disqualification from the Japanese Grand Prix will be another major talking point at this weekend’s Mexican Grand Prix.
Will Hamilton take a Mexico title triple?
Lewis Hamilton won the last two world championships at the Mexican Grand Prix and he could do again this year.However his chances of doing so are not as strong as they were 12 months ago. Hamilton can only take the title this weekend if he finishes in the top three positions and Valtteri Bottas is sufficiently far behind.
His championship lead means it’s more a matter of when, not if, he seals his sixth title. But whether it is likely to happen this weekend will of course depend largely on how competitive Mercedes are.
Will Ferrari’s pole streak continue?
But what was once a fast and flowing circuit is now composed largely of very slow corners. Ferrari’s low-speed performance has been variable: They were miles of the pace in Hungary, but won in Singapore. Rivals Mercedes suspected the latter came about partly due to the team sacrificing race performance for qualifying pace, knowing passing would be almost impossible in Singapore. They may not be able to do the same in Mexico.
While Max Verstappen has played down Red Bull’s chances, this is a track which has suited them well in recent years, so much so that Verstappen won F1’s last two races in Mexico.
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Albon’s 2020 chance
Alexander Albon’s steady results since he moved to Red Bull have made a decent case for the team keeping him on for the 2020 F1 season. The team’s motorsport consultant Helmut Marko has indicated a decision will come soon, possibly after this weekend.
Unless Albon has an absolutely shocker in Mexico, his chances of keeping his drive for next year are looking good. Similarly, Pierre Gasly looks far more comfortable in the Toro Rosso than he ever did at Red Bull, and it wouldn’t be a surprise if he got another year there.
Will Renault fight their disqualification?
They have the option of appealing against the decision. But can they feel at all confident in their chances of winning? Particularly considering Japan was their second disqualification in three races after Daniel Ricciardo’s costly MGU-K breach in Singapore.
Perez’s timely homecoming
Racing Point are on an upward swing following their recent upgrade and the fall-out from Japan has edged them closer to Renault. Sergio Perez, who always enjoys a fantastic reception at his home race, must be eyeing the chance of a late surge up the constructors’ championship table.
Williams: Won’t go, can’t stop?
While Robert Kubica fumed over Williams’ decision to remove a new front wing from his car in Japan, George Russell almost pulled out of the race because of his car’s alarmingly inconsistent braking performance. Will the team have a solution this weekend?
Mexico features some of the highest top speeds seen during the season as rivers brake from up to 370kph heading into turn one. That will be an eye-opening thought for the Williams drivers given their recent braking trouble. Kubica may not be too disappointed Nicholas Latifi will drive his car in first practice.
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Are you going to the Mexican Grand Prix?
If you’re heading to Mexico for this weekend’s race, we want to hear from you:
Who do you think will be the team to beat in the Mexican Grand Prix? Have your say below.
And don’t forget to enter your predictions for this weekend’s race. You can edit your predictions until the start of qualifying:
2019 Mexican Grand Prix
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Jere (@jerejj)
24th October 2019, 8:40
Will Hamilton take a Mexico title triple? Not yet in Mexico, but at COTA, yes.
Will Ferrari’s pole streak continue? – No.
Will Renault fight their disqualification? – Yes, they might, but unlikely to lead to the desired outcome.
Williams: Won’t go, can’t stop? Will the team have a solution this weekend? – Hopefully.
Only Facts!
24th October 2019, 14:22
Driver’s title in the USA? Mercedes would love to crown it with a win. But Ferrari will be chasing that more than anyone else: US the largest market for their cars.
Renault fighting against DQ? Well, it seems that there were some form of driver’s aid. Former crew member gave a hint.
Williams seemed to stop making new spare parts since summer break. Good news is that maybe 2020 chassis is on the way now. Will they be ready for winter testing this time?
Chaitanya
24th October 2019, 9:13
Hamilton wont win title in Mexico as his form had been quite lacklustre at this particular track.
Carlos Medrano (@carlosmedrano)
24th October 2019, 15:26
Not really I feel like its more like he’s been unlucky at this track before
Qeki (@qeki)
24th October 2019, 9:27
It would be nice again to get the title decided at brazil. There’s something in that venue that deserves it.
John Beak (@johnbeak)
24th October 2019, 9:34
Keep an eye out for McLarens this weekend.
Red Bull’s success at this track in recent years has been largely thanks to Renault’s turbocharger, which is believed to be the best among F1’s current engines. Turbocharger has a much more profound effect on performance in the thin air of high altitude Mexico City.
While the Renault works team has been struggling, McLaren seem to have a more consistent car. They could be much closer to the frontrunners than usual.
It will also be intriguing to see how does Honda compare to Renault based on Red Bull’s performance this weekend. This might tell us a lot about the next season as well.
MacLeod (@macleod)
24th October 2019, 11:33
you know the turbocharger Honda use now is from their Plane department so i expect good performance on high height tracks.
MEGATRON M12 (@megatron)
24th October 2019, 12:25
RBR success at Mexico had nothing to do with the turbocharger, it had everything to do with their low speed maximum downforce package keeping the tires in best condition. RBR won in Mexico for the same reason they won in Monaco. Renault do not have the best turbos, that is a load of crock.
MEGATRON M12 (@megatron)
24th October 2019, 12:27
@johnbeak
Optimaximal (@optimaximal)
24th October 2019, 9:56
Ferrari may have improved their downforce post-summer break, but their low-speed corner performance is still poor compared to Mercedes and Red Bull – they’ll power down the straights through the thin air, but will they be able to stop and turn the car?
frood19 (@frood19)
24th October 2019, 11:17
cool picture at the top – was this on the slow down lap after the chequered flag? the tyres look an absolute state!
Warheart (@warheart)
24th October 2019, 13:21
@frood19 what you see in that picture is rubber pickup, they drive out of line during the slow down lap to get those rubber marbles and get some extra grams for the post race weighing.
MEGATRON M12 (@megatron)
24th October 2019, 12:24
RBR success had nothing to do with the turbocharger, it had everything to do with their low speed maximum down force package keeping the tires in best condition. RBR won in Mexico for the same reason they won in Monaco. Renault do not have the best turbos, that is a load of crock.
Patrick (@anunaki)
24th October 2019, 15:00
HAM will not win the WDC here, because they switch time slot with COTA
Andy Mail (@amail)
24th October 2019, 15:21
…And, on the fact of it, the SF90’s…
…They were miles of the pace in Hungary…
…highest top speeds seen during the season as rivers brake from up to 370kph…
I hate to criticize such a labor of love. The content is fantastic, but the frequent typos really bug me especially when the message gets muddled or worse. @keithcollantine, You need a proof-reader on your staff.
RP (@slotopen)
24th October 2019, 17:25
@amail
Im not the least bite bothered by the typos, I’ll take content over presentation any day.
But I know presentation is everything too some people. To each there own.