I hope you enjoyed the weekend off because these next 5 rounds are set to be nail-biting events. Usually, by this point of the season, the championship leaders have, or are close to, securing their victory in the driver’s and constructor’s titles. However, as we know, the 2021 F1 season is anything but typical. The battle between Verstappen and Hamilton is as tense as ever; Ferrari’s recent upturn in performance means that the ‘best of the rest’ battle just got a lot more interesting; and there are 20 drivers on the grid waiting to close out this season on a high note.
This weekend we head to Mexico City for the 18th round of this 22 race season. The track, Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez, was built in honour of two Mexican motorsport legends, the Rodriguez brothers. This year, however, the crowd in the packed baseball-style stadium will be cheering for their home-hero Sergio ‘Checo’ Perez. It won't be Perez’s first time racing on home turf, but it will be his first time sitting on the grid in front-running machinery. With Checo ever so close to snatching pole in Austin, all eyes will be on car number 11 this weekend. In a stage of the season where every point is vital in Max Verstappen's title challenge, it will be interesting to observe how Redbull will balance the opportunities of their two drivers this weekend.
Speaking of the title fight, Verstappen leads Hamilton by only 12 points. Before the US Grand Prix, the consensus was that Mercedes were back with the upper hand after upgrades they made in Silverstone were beginning to pay dividends. This run of form was expected to continue in the Mercedes stronghold that was the Circuit of the Americas. So Max Verstappen's masterful win in Austin has likely dampened any optimism that was growing in the Mercedes garage. Hamilton will be undoubtedly looking to execute 5 perfect races in the upcoming rounds to claim his record-breaking 8th world title. The title could still swing either way and Verstappen is by no means sitting comfortably with his lead, even if Redbull are the favourites heading into Mexico.
Although Lewis Hamilton is the most recent winner of the Mexico Grand Prix in 2019, the track is considered a Red Bull advantage. Despite having a fairly disastrous weekend here in 2019, there is no denying that the Red Bull package excels in the high-altitude conditions.
For those among us that are engineering-minded, Formula 1’s Tech Tuesday did a thorough analysis of the power and aerodynamic components that affect performance around Mexico. While a few races ago the constructor’s championship was rarely mentioned, with most people assuming Mercedes were sure winners, is it possible that Red Bull is back in contention? A promising performance from Checo in Austin last week opens up a myriad of strategic opportunities for Red Bull to rebuild their challenge in the team championship, given that his recent resurgence is an upward trend and not a string of lucky breaks.
If you're wondering what to expect, Mark Hughes and Giorgio Piola remind us that “Red Bull’s confidence and Mercedes’ caution coming into the Mexican weekend is very evident.” But, as we know, all bets are off this season. Weather, track conditions, strategy, tyre management, driver error, and an encroaching midfield mean that this race is still anyone's to win.
Comments