Formula 1’s journey to the American continent continues and makes a stop in Mexico, the meeting point between the north and south of the New World to compete in the Mexico City Grand Prix.
For the 20th round of the 2023 Formula 1 World Championship, Pirelli has decided to bring the following compounds:
- Pirelli PZero White Hard C3
- Pirelli PZero Yellow Medium C4
- Pirelli PZero Red Soft C5
This is the softest choice possible, because the three softest compounds from the 2023 range created by the Milanese manufacturer will be involved. This, we remember, goes from C0 – the hardest one – to C5, the softest one. This choice is one degree softer than last season, where C2, C3 and C4 were used.
Mexican GP: the tires on the track
- Graining is a fairly frequent phenomenon on this track, also because the tires are subject to greater slipping due to the unloaded aerodynamics and the high altitudes.
- The most successful driver in the Mexican capital is Max Verstappen with four successes out of seven participations. The victories of the Dutch driver allow Red Bull to be the most victorious team on Mexican soil.
- The most adopted race strategy last year was one stop. Max Verstappen mounted a used set of Softs and finished on Medium, finishing first ahead of Lewis Hamilton who, instead, started on Medium and finished the race on Hard.
- The temperature difference between the beginning and the end of the day is very significant, an additional factor to take into account when analyzing potential tire degradation.
Mexican GP: Mario Isola’s comment
Mario Isola, head of Pirelli’s motorsport division, commented on the 20th event of the season as follows: “The second consecutive appointment of this American tour of Formula 1 will take place in Mexico City, on the circuit named in memory of the brothers Pedro and Ricardo Rodriguez, glories of motor racing in the North American country in the 1960s and 1970s”.
“Just over four kilometers long and characterized by 17 curves, the circuit is located in the eastern area of the Mexican capital, which is over two thousand meters above sea level. This has a significant effect on the performance of the cars, as the rarefied air reduces the resistance to progress and the aerodynamic load generated by the single-seaters: in fact, if the configuration is usually the one used on circuits that require a high level of load, the effect on the tires is much lower. Also the level of grip produced by the The asphalt is significantly lower than average, given that the roughness is among the lowest of the entire calendar.
This year we decided to bring to Mexico the trio of softest dry compounds (C3, C4 and C5) available. It was a well-considered choice, both based on last year’s experience and on the simulations that the teams provided us as always. This should lead to greater variety in strategic choices in the race, opening up the possibility of making two stops: in 2022, when the compounds chosen were C2, C3 and C4, almost all the drivers made only one pit stop, favoring a combination between Soft and Medium.
“The Mexico City event will also offer us the opportunity to have all the teams evaluate a variant of the C4. In the two hours of free practice on Friday, all the drivers will have two sets of prototypes of this new compound to use as they wish. Once the data has been analyzed, we will decide whether to approve this version for use in 2024.”
Minimum pressures at the start (slick tyres)
Front: 23.5 psi
Rear: 20.5 psi
Maximum camber
Front: -3.25°
Rear: -1.75°
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