Formula 1's America journey continues with a trip south for the Mexico City Grand Prix, one week on from the round in Austin.

As usual, the atmosphere inside the Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez will be electrifying because of the exuberance of the fans who pack the grandstands in the spectacular Foro Solo stadium section, one of the most photogenic points on the calendar. One can also describe it as breathtaking because the circuit sits at over two thousand metres above sea level, which means the rarefied air has a significant effect on car performance.

For this race, the Pirelli podium cap feature a bold green base accented by gold embroidery, echoing the green for its flag, the gold for triumph, and the red for the racing heartbeat of the capital. It's a special edition produced by Pirelli Design with creative input from the designer Denis Dekovic.

As was the case in Austin last weekend, for the Mexican round there is again a jump in the compound selection between the hardest of the three and the medium. While the Medium and Soft are the C4 and C5 respectively, as in 2024, the Hard will now be the C2. For the Mexico City track, this compound is an extremely conservative choice, with a considerable delta in terms of lap time compared to the other two, while also offering less grip.

The Compounds

Last year, the Soft only came into play in qualifying and then in the race, only in an attempt to secure the extra point for setting the fastest race lap, but now the scenario could change considerably. The advantage to be had from the C4 and C5 could in fact lead the teams to aim for a race run predominantly on these compounds. However, that comes with the risk of possibly having to make a second pit stop because of degradation. Anyone choosing the C2 could relatively comfortably manage a longer stint, going for a one-stop on the way to the chequered flag, although it entails a reduction in performance.

The use of the two softest compounds will certainly be carefully evaluated during the three free practice sessions, when teams will be able to run long stints with full fuel loads and check the condition of the tyres. Historically, graining levels in Mexico are quite pronounced, since the thin air at altitude reduces the amount of aerodynamic downforce that the cars can produce.

On a track that already offers little grip due to its limited use, the tyres tend to slide, which leads to graining. It will also be interesting to see whether the greater resistance to this phenomenon offered by the current compounds will help limit it and therefore benefit those who are masters of tyre management.

In 2024

All drivers, except Sergio Pérez, adopted a one-stop strategy last year. Most started on the Medium compound, while six drivers, all of whom went on to finish outside the top eleven, preferred the Hard for the first stint. The most effective strategy, in theory and later confirmed on track, proved to be Medium-Hard.

No particular tyre management skills were required to extend the stint on the medium compound, which, in general, showed only a slight amount of graining and very limited degradation. The longest stint on the yellow-banded compound was 39 laps from Piastri, while on the white-banded compound it went as high as 49 laps with Bottas.

The Track

The race is run over 71 laps of the 4.304 kilometres of Mexico City's Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez which boasts 17 corners. Its main peculiarity is its altitude, which at over 2,200 metres above sea level means the air is very rarefied. Therefore the cars generate less downforce making car set-up and technical management particularly demanding for the teams.

The main straight is over 1.2 kilometres long, on which the cars reach very high top speeds, partly down to the minimal downforce. The track surface is very smooth, and at the start of the weekend does not provide much grip, as it does not get much use. Therefore it rubbers-in over the three days, which is reflected in improved lap times. Drivers will also need to be careful not to lock up the wheels under braking, due to the tyre surface temperatures dropping quickly down the two long straights. Because of its unusual layout, this is also the track where drivers have to change gear the least.

Keyword: Test

The long development and validation testing programme to define the tyres for 2026 officially ends in Mexico City. After the Grand Prix, Pirelli will return to the track on Tuesday, October 28 and Wednesday, October 29, together with the Sauber and Mercedes teams, for the final test of the softer compounds in the range, ahead of the definitive validation scheduled for December 15, the constructions having already been validated on September 1.

The development of the new tyres took place over 15 test sessions, each lasting two days, held in seven different countries. Three took place in 2024: in Barcelona (September 17-18) and Mugello (September 8-9) for dry compounds, and in Magny-Cours (November 13-14) for wet compounds.

The remaining twelve sessions were run this year, with most of the test days held at Spanish and Italian circuits. The slick tyres were tested twice in Barcelona (February 4-5 and June 3-4, after the GP) and once in Jerez (February 12-13), while in Italy both dry and wet solutions were evaluated. This took place at Fiorano (June 19-20) on an artificially wet track, while at Monza (September 9-10,) following the Italian Grand Prix and Mugello (September 25-26) the tests were affected by bad weather, which slightly affected the sessions initially planned for slicks.

At Paul Ricard (January 29-30) and Silverstone (May 7-8), the track was also artificially watered to test the Wet and Intermediate tyres. Pirelli was back at the English track after the British Grand Prix (July 8-9) to work on the harder end of the slick range, the new construction for which was developed based on data gathered during the earlier pre-season tests in Bahrain (March 2-3).

Prior to the upcoming Mexico test, the softer compounds were also evaluated in Budapest (August 5-6), in the week after the race. All the Formula 1 teams took part in the various test sessions, having communicated their availability to the FIA and Pirelli.

The new 2026 range, which continues to feature 18-inch rims but with slightly narrower tyres, will be tested by all teams together during the post-season test in Abu Dhabi, scheduled for December 9-10 at Yas Marina, using mule cars to accommodate the new tyre size.

By The Numbers

The circuit named in memory of the Rodríguez brothers has hosted 24 editions of the Grand Prix, twenty - the first in 1963 - going by the name of "Mexican Grand Prix" and the last four taking their name from the country's capital. Max Verstappen is the most successful driver at this track, which explains why Red Bull is among the teams with the most wins in Mexico, with five in total (2017, 2018, 2021, 2022 and 2023).

To find the driver with the most pole positions, one must go back to the 1960s, when Jim Clark, driving for Lotus, took pole four times between 1963 and 1967. The last two poles have gone to Ferrari courtesy of Charles Leclerc in 2023 and Carlos Sainz in 2024. Last year's race was actually the last time to date that the Spaniard, now with Williams, won a Grand Prix. The Mexican round has also been particularly significant for current Ferrari driver Lewis Hamilton, who celebrated his 2017 and 2018 world titles here, and holds the record for the most podium finishes in this race with six.