Oracle Red Bull Racing

Previously At The Mexican Grand Prix

Mexico has always provided a warm welcome to the Team… and that was even before Checo joined the team

The

Autódromo

Hermanos

Rodríguez

didn’t

host

Formula

One

between

1992

and

2015.

That’s

enough

gap

that

very

few

people

the

team

had

been

the

circuit

before

–

which

made

for

wide-eyed

astonishment

from

the

majority,

and

similar

question

everyone’s

lips

and

down

the

pit-lane:

‘why

have

been

away

long?’

Because if F1 is a natural fit anywhere, it’s a natural fit in Mexico City: the history, the motorsport culture, the sheer exuberance in the grandstands, made our first visit an absolute blast. With the grandstand in front, and the Foro Sol behind, the noise coming into the pit-lane is spectacular. Like being in a football ground. It’s awesome. In the sense that it inspires awe.

F1 has been to the Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez (previously called the Magdalena Mixhuca circuit) 22 times across 60 years. Surprisingly, we’re the most successful team in the history of the race, with Max taking four victories from our seven visits. Our worst performances came in 2015, when Dany Kvyat and Daniel Ricciardo finished fourth and fifth, and 2019, when Alex Albon and Max were fifth and sixth. Every other visit has resulted in a trophy…

2016–Danielthird,Maxfourth

This one has pub-quiz potential. The end of the race was a real dogfight between Max, Sebastian Vettel in a Ferrari and Daniel. Max finished third on track, and picked up a 5s penalty, for leaving the track and gaining an advantage, so Seb went up to collect the third-place trophy for Ferrari, then post-race he picked up a penalty for moving under braking and blocking Daniel… who then inherited third. So late in the evening, clad in stealth sombreros, Max and Daniel went across to the Foro Sol to do a little podium ceremony of their own. The aftermath of the race had Seb getting a dressing down for being quite the Sweary Mary on the radio – but it really was the sort of race you want to see.

Daniel Third And Max Fourth

2017–Maxwins

Max did the hard work at the start of the 2017 Grand Prix. Starting P2, he hung it out around the outside into the first chicane and emerged ahead of Seb’s Ferrari. A little bit of afters between Vettel and Lewis Hamilton had them both heading for the pit-lane and an early stop, which gave Max a comparatively easy ride. Behind him it was carnage, however. The turbo engines don’t lose power at altitude like the old-school normally-aspirated engines used to – but the turbo does have to work exceptionally hard to provide the boost. Daniel’s went pop, on a fairly torrid day for anyone with Renault power.

Max For The Win

2018–Maxwinsagain

Back before our switch to Honda power, Red Bull Racing developed a reputation as something of a street track specialist: lacking the horsepower to contest victories on merit at most circuits, but far more competitive at circuits where aero and chassis dynamics came to the fore. On paper, the layout of the Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez doesn’t suggest that… but adding in 2,280m of altitude makes it a maximum downforce track to rival Monaco… albeit delivering only Monza levels of grip.

Thus in 2018 we went to Mexico as genuine contenders and delivered a front row lock-out, with Daniel on pole, ahead of Max. Max got the better start and went into the lead at the first corner, while Daniel dropped back and had to scrap his way up to P2. Daniel’s race sadly ended with another mechanical DNF – but Max was able to continue on his serene way, winning with a comfortable margin of 17 seconds.

2021–MaxIII

The race got a new name for 2021 - the Mexican Grand Prix was dead, long live the Mexico City Grand Prix. For us it genuinely was a new event because, while we’d always enjoyed a warm welcome, it’s a different level completely with Checo in the team. It’s wonderful – but a lot of weight. In the garage it was the other car that was the focus, with Max leading the Drivers’ championship by just 12 points from Lewis Hamilton, and everyone in the paddock certain this one was going to the wire.

Mexico didn’t start great, with the Mercedes locking-out the front row – but it’s 811m from pole to the braking zone for Turn One at the Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez, and the car in front has a target on his back the whole way down that long, long straight. Max hooked it up brilliantly, got in the slipstream and swept gloriously around the outside to bag the lead. He got a big cheer, Checo got a much bigger one when he took P4 at the fourth corner. Max had a clear run to victory, but Checo had the more exciting afternoon, chasing Hamilton all the way to the line. And thanks to the miracle of hydraulics, we also got to have the RB16B on the podium… which made for a pretty special picture.

Max And Checo Celebrate A Double Podium

2022Maxmk.IV

Last year saw Max’s fourth victory but his first (official) pole position at the Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez. He did that rare thing of keeping the lead at the start and then disappeared into the distance. Behind him, Checo repeated his 2021 trick and nipped into P3 at Turn Four. And after this it was a tyre race: Max and Checo started on the soft tyre, Lewis Hamilton in P2 went longer on the medium… but Max always had it under control and duly made history.

The podium was fabulous once again – Checo in P3 was absolutely the star. With the Championships already in the bag, the celebrations were rather more relaxed last year, and the team got to enjoy Martin Garrix blowing the doors off. Good times in Ciudad de México.

Double Bull Podium