Photo: Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez
The first ever FIA World Endurance Championship race to be held in Mexico is less than a month away, but already the drivers are relishing the prospect of competing at the 6 Hours of Mexico Presented by AT&T at the Hermanos Rodriguez.
For most of the stars of the show the 4.304 mile track in Mexico City will be a completely new experience but, for a few, it will be familiar territory.
For Lucas Di Grassi, returning to Mexico five months on from his win in Formula E, on the road at least, it will be a fascinating weekend.
“I think the WEC grid will look very spectacular in Mexico City,” said Di Grassi. “The long straight will be very interesting in terms of overall speed but of course also how the engines and the systems will be affected by the high altitude (2,200ft above sea level). I think the close racing will be even more interesting in the WEC because the straight is so long but, a little bit like Fuji in some ways, there will be a compromise as there are some tight sections that make up the circuit.”
Photo: 6 Hours of Mexico Presented by AT&T press conference - 13 March included WEC drivers with first hand experience at Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez including Lucas di Grassi and Sam Bird (fourth and third from the right)
AF Corse Ferrari GT star Sam Bird also believes that the LMGTE Pro class will thrill the passionate Mexican race fans who are renowned for their fervent and knowledgeable support of teams and drivers.
“The atmospheric pressure will certainly be a key aspect next month when we go to Mexico City,” said Bird. “We obviously have a combination of turbo and normally aspirated cars in the LMGTE Pro class so it will be intriguing to see how that affects the cars. Other than that, there is so much to look forward to. When I was there in March it was quickly evident that the Mexican people love racing and they are not shy in letting people know about it. There will be a great atmosphere and plenty of colour.”
Apart from Mexican drivers Ricardo and Roberto Gonzalez and Luis Diaz, several other drivers have experience of the Hermanos Rodriguez. Notably the British pairing of Oliver Jarvis and Adam Carroll have fond memories of the track after winning in the A1 Grand Prix series in 2007 and 2008 respectively.
The FIA WEC family also has its own familiarity with the track as WEC Driver Steward Yannick Dalmas won the last major international sportscar race held at the Hermanos Rodriguez when he and teammate Keke Rosberg took victory with their Peugeot 905 Evo1 in October 1991.
Photo: Yannick Dalmas
Sam Smith
