The "Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez" circuit has been one of Max Verstappen's most successful tracks, yet its characteristics are remarkably well-suited for McLaren's MCL39. Many analysts anticipate this will become evident as the Mexico City Grand Prix race weekend progresses, especially once track conditions improve, as yesterday the circuit was exceptionally dusty and slippery.
Let's set aside the thin air and power unit cooling issues—these obstacles are universal for all teams this weekend. Instead, we'll focus on the specific characteristics that have typically played into McLaren's favor this season.
The "Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez" offers a good balance of slow and medium-speed corners within a single lap. The first sector is defined by its long straight and slow chicanes, where drivers must aggressively attack the curbs.
The second sector features a series of medium to high-speed corners, where excellent front-end performance and superb aerodynamic downforce are crucial. It was precisely in this second sector yesterday that Max Verstappen set a record-breaking time en route to his top spot in the second practice session.
The third sector is the most technical, encompassing the baseball stadium section with its series of super-slow corners. This area demands exceptional mechanical grip, requiring a softer suspension setup to allow drivers to attack the curbs and gain speed.
The MCL39 offers more flexibility in finding a compromise for the car's balance regarding suspension performance, which is the first significant advantage for Oscar Piastri and Lando Norris. Red Bull is also expected to adopt their usual strategy when faced with limited opportunities on a track: maximize their strengths—performance in the second sector—and minimize losses in others, such as the chicanes in the first sector and the stadium section in the third.
There's another factor: tire management at the Mexico City circuit, where the dust on the asphalt is legendary. The thinner air at 2200 meters above sea level means poorer tire cooling, causing them to overheat more easily, especially when the car is on a full fuel load and running in the dirty air of the car ahead.
Typically, grip levels here are quite low, leading to graining of the front tires—their surface heats up while the compound underneath remains cold, altering the behavior of the slicks in slow corners. This applies fully to softer compounds, and McLaren's superior chassis performance with tires will be a significant advantage for Zak Brown's drivers. However, to capitalize on this, they must qualify well and race in clean air to fully exploit the MCL39's potential.
Yesterday, Lando Norris hinted at the end of the second free practice session that McLaren might possess race pace that could be untouchable for others. Now, it remains to be seen if this will indeed prove to be the case.