Located in Mexico City, the Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez is a 4.304 km circuit bearing the name of two iconic racing drivers, Ricardo and Pedro Rodríguez. The circuit earned its title after the untimely death of Ricardo during a practice session for the non-Championship 1962 Mexican Grand Prix. Sadly, nine years later, Pedro also lost his life while racing.
After a lengthy break from F1, the Formula One Mexican Grand Prix returned to the city and the current track in 2015. It had previously been hosted on a different layout over the years, with the last race in 1992.
Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez Circuit
| First Grand Prix | 1963 Mexican Grand Prix |
| Number of Laps | 71 |
| Circuit Length | 4.304km |
| Race Distance | 305.354 km |
| Lap Record | 1:17.774 Valtteri Bottas (2021) |
Circuit
When was the Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez track built?
Óscar Fernández, a student, created the circuit in 1953 as part of his thesis while studying for his degree. With an elevation of 2,238m (7,342 ft), both drivers and their cars struggle with the thin air. Despite the challenge, the lower levels of aerodynamic drag allow for higher downforce setups with less impact on straight-line speed.
The track boasted an incredibly fast final corner, the Peraltada, before a lengthy start/finish straight. The banked curve enabled drivers to reach even higher speeds than Monza’s Parabolica curve.
Unfortunately, this curve was where the younger Rodríguez experienced a crash due to suspension failure. After the last F1 Mexican Grand Prix in 1992, a baseball stadium called the “Foro” was erected on the inner part of the curve. To bypass the Peraltada, sharp turns were implemented in 2002 as part of the Champ Car series. These turns lead in and out of the Foro before drivers re-enter the Peraltada halfway through.
Circuit designer Hermann Tilke oversaw a major renovation of the Grand Prix circuit ahead of Formula One’s return in 2015. To accommodate a new media centre and paddock, the front straight was extended and reprofiled. Meanwhile, the esses between turns 7 and 13 underwent significant modifications, including reducing the number of high radius turns and introducing fixed angle turns. Another notable change was to the baseball field portion of the track, which now features a low-speed left-right combination that allows the cars to re-enter the Peraltada midway through the corner by bypassing its first half.
When was the first Grand Prix?
The Magdalena Mixhuca public park in 1959 was the birthplace of the circuit that saw its first Formula One Grand Prix race in 1962. Although initially a non-Championship race, it eventually became a full World Championship event the following year. From 1962 to 1970, the circuit was part of the F1 calendar, but due to spectator overcrowding and unsafe conditions, it had to leave.
In 1986, the circuit made a comeback with a new pit complex and improved safety features, only to leave again in 1992 due to modern safety concerns. The task of revamping the circuit was given to motorsport governing bodies in 2001, leading to a complete upgrade of the circuit and the addition of the Foro Sol baseball stadium, a venue that now presents an epic conclusion to the lap at Mexico.
While plans were announced in 2012 for the circuit to host the Mexican Grand Prix in 2013, these were put on ice until the following year. Once again in 2014, the Mexican Grand Prix failed to host the 19th round of the season. However, on December 3, 2014, the FIA announced the return of Formula One to the circuit, with the Mexican Grand Prix slated for November 1, 2015.
Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez lap record
The official lap record for the current F1 Grand Prix circuit layout is 1:17.774, set by Valtteri Bottas during the 2021 Mexico City Grand Prix driving for Mercedes.
