Mexican GP Sees Shorter DRS Zone Amid FIA Adjustments

The FIA trims Mexico GP’s longest DRS zone, reducing the main straight activation by 75 meters for closer race management.

The longest DRS zone along the main straight of the Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez has been shortened compared to last season.

The circuit, which hosts the Mexican Grand Prix this weekend, will again feature three separate DRS activation zones along its 4.3 km length.

Officially, the first DRS activation zone is listed at the exit of Turn 11, the final left-hand corner at the end of the esses in the middle sector, providing an overtaking opportunity into Turn 12, which leads to the recently revamped stadium section. The second DRS activation zone is on the main straight at the exit of the final corner, while the third and final DRS zone is between Turns Three and Four.

While the first and third DRS activation points remain unchanged from last year, the second zone along the main straight has been shifted. It now starts 75 meters further down the straight than last year, making it a shorter DRS zone than drivers previously had.

The thinner air in Mexico, situated at an altitude of 2,240 meters, makes the pit straight one of the fastest sections on the F1 calendar, with drivers regularly exceeding 330 to 340 km/h before braking for the first corner, even without DRS engaged. With the rear wing flap open, speeds reached over 350 km/h at the end of the straight in Q3 during last year’s qualifying session.

This marks the second consecutive round where a DRS zone has been shortened by the FIA, following a 95-meter reduction in the DRS zone along COTA’s back straight last weekend. However, drivers have had more opportunities to use DRS in the previous three rounds. The longest DRS zones were extended in Monza and Baku, and a fourth zone was added in Singapore.