The Mexico City Grand Prix will be the next crucial test for Red Bull's car upgrades, as the team has once again prepared a new floor version for this race. But will the RB21 be fast enough against the McLaren cars, which are expected to perform exceptionally well on the slow and medium-speed corners of the "Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez"?
Following Friday's practice sessions, where Max Verstappen topped the standings in the second session and set a record time in the track's second sector, it's anticipated that Red Bull will once again focus on maximizing the RB21's strengths – high straight-line speed and the car's handling in fast corners.
For higher straight-line speed, a key feature of Honda's power unit is expected to play a decisive role: a larger turbocharger. This allows for a greater collection of exhaust gases, which in turn provides more power to the compressor to force more air into the engine, resulting in increased internal combustion engine power. The optimal execution of this process is critical in the thin air of Mexico City, where turbocharged engines experience an oxygen deficit and, consequently, a power reduction.
Red Bull and Max Verstappen have always been very strong in Mexico, but now it's even more important for the world champion to perform well in qualifying to maximize his chances of demonstrating his race pace in clean air at the front of the pack.