Tsunoda seeks redemption, while Lawson builds momentum as RB F1 navigates the unique demands of Mexico’s high-altitude circuit.
Yuki Tsunoda hopes to regain better form after a disappointing United States Grand Prix. The RB F1 driver believes that temperature management and cooling efforts will be crucial to successfully navigating the weekend.
“Mexico is a unique event due to the circuit’s high altitude, which means we run a maximum downforce setup, but only experience Monza-like levels of downforce,” Tsunoda explained.
“And the cars reach some of the highest top speeds of the season. You can even feel the slight lack of oxygen outside the cockpit, though not as much when you’re driving.”
“Although it’s not a Sprint weekend, we will have slightly less time than usual to work on the car’s setup and ensure we have the right levels of cooling on a circuit where it’s easy to overheat many components, including the internal combustion engine.”
“The second free practice session will be entirely dedicated to Pirelli tyre testing for next year’s compounds. Austin wasn’t great, so I’m glad we’re getting back to racing right away.”
A “quite different” experience from Austin
Liam Lawson is keen to continue building on his impressive debut 2024 weekend in Austin: “Mexico is very different from Austin, with a different style of circuit. The main difference is the altitude, which means the car runs with high downforce.”
“The speeds we reach are among the highest of the season, which means that in the corners, particularly in the high-speed sections of the track, there’s a lot less downforce than in Austin.”
“Grip levels are quite low, which means the cars slide around a lot and tyre management becomes tricky. Personally, I’ve only been to Mexico once, for a free practice session in 2022, so like Austin, it’ll be a matter of relearning everything, though this time with the advantage of having three practice sessions instead of just one.”
“I hope some of the things we learned in Austin will help us this week, but given the significant difference in track characteristics, we’ll be running the car in a very different window. I’m excited to get back on track and eager to jump back in the car!”
Balancing drag and cooling
Alan Permane, the sporting director, outlined the altitude-related challenges and discussed tyre strategy: “From Austin, we head south to Mexico for the second race of this triple-header. The largest and most densely populated city in North America sits at an altitude of 2,240 metres.”
“This creates unique challenges for the teams. The significantly lower air pressure drastically reduces the downforce generated, forcing teams to use Monaco-level drag, yet producing less downforce than at Monza.”
“The other constraint concerns all the cooling systems. It’s a battle for efficiency, as the more you open up the bodywork for cooling, the more downforce you lose, and drag increases.”
“The circuit offers a good mix of low-speed technical corners and high-speed direction changes before drivers enter the stadium section for the final turns.”
“Pirelli is bringing its softest tyres from the 2024 range, and even with those, the race is likely to be a one-stop strategy due to the smooth tarmac and the effects of the altitude.”
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RB F1 Focuses on Cooling Amid High-Speed Mexican Challenge RB F1 Focuses on Cooling Amid High-Speed Mexican Challenge
