The last Mexican grand prix was held in 1992 – 23 years ago. Since then, many changes have been made to the track, with the Peraltada corner removed from the circuit for safety reasons. One feature which remains, however, is the 1.3km straight, which will certainly benefit Mercedes-powered cars.
The circuit is situated in Mexico City, 2200m above sea level. This means that the engines will be able to generate less power, due to the thinner air. However, it also reduces drag so the cars should be able to reach speeds of over 350km/h on the main straight.
Pirelli are bring the medium and soft tyre compounds to the race but, with rain forecast for the whole weekend, the teams will probably use the intermediate and wet tyre compounds.
Mercedes
Having sealed the constructors’ championship and Hamilton winning the drivers’ title, Mercedes have again been totally dominant this year. However, they have been beaten by Ferrari on a number of occasions this year and with rain forecast – the results may be unpredictable. Disappointed at losing out on the championship for the second time, Rosberg is hoping to be able to win more races before the end of this year.
Ferrari
After retiring from the race in USA, Raikkonen has less than half as many points as teammate Vettel. However, he is currently fourth and 12 points ahead of Bottas. He will be hoping for a good result this weekend in order to stay ahead. With Hamilton wrapping up the title in Austin, Vettel is no longer in contention for the championship but he will still be determined to get some good results in the final races of the season.
Williams
With neither driver finishing the race in Austin, Williams lost out on a great deal of points. They are hoping to make up for that with a strong race this weekend and extend their advantage over Red Bull in the championship. The long, fast straight should benefit the car, with low drag and Mercedes power.
Red Bull
Despite the long straight, the circuit should suit Red Bull’s car well. Slow, twisting sections require high amounts of downforce and the RB11 certainly has that. Another factor which should also benefit them is the forecast of rain -reducing the power advantage of Mercedes.
Toro Rosso
A great result for both drivers in USA – fourth and seventh – allowed them to move closer to their rivals in the championship. Verstappen’s fourth place meant he moved up to 10th in the championship, one point ahead of Romain Grosjean. This weekend, they will be hoping to have another impressive race and be able to challenge for high scoring positions.
Force India
Sergio Perez is looking forward to competing in his first home grand prix and believes that it will be “one of the highlights of [his] career”. Strong results in the last two races means that he is confident going into the last 3 races of 2015. After a series of non-finishes, Hulkenberg is hoping to finish in the points this weekend and be back to his usual form.
Sauber
Monisha Kaltenborn was disappointed with her drivers’ crash on the first lap in Austin and said that “these kind of things simply must not happen. We will definitely have a word with both of them.” This weekend they will be aiming for a stronger performance, with both drivers staying out of trouble and scoring points.
Lotus
With Mercedes-power, Lotus are hoping to be strong this weekend, especially after Grosjean’s disappointing result in USA. They are currently 6th in the standings, behind Force India and are under threat from Toro Rosso in 7th.
McLaren
The McLaren should be strong in the slow, twisting section of the circuit but the main straight is going to be hard, with the power deficit. With DRS, other cars will probably be able to pass easily. McLaren should be helped by the rain forecast especially if the cars in front fall into trouble in the slippery conditions.
Manor
At his home grand prix, Rossi was able to match Manor’s best result of the season with a 12th place in Austin. However, Mexico is likely to be tough for the team currently powered by a year old Ferrari engine, with the long straight.