WEC - First time in Mexico
Lap distance: 4.304 km
Race duration: 6 hours
Location: Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez
Website: www.autodromohr.com
Other Races: Vintage Mexico Series
Airport: Aeropuerto Internacional de la Ciudad de México
Av.Capitán Carlos León s/n, Colonia Peñón de los baños, C.P. 15620, Delegación Venustiano Carranza, México D.F.
Website: http://www.aicm.com.mx/en/
RACE STATS
2016 is the first FIA WEC event in Mexico
DID YOU KNOW?
- The Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez sits in the original Magdalena Mixhuca Sports City complex which was the official Olympic park for the 1968 Summer Olympics. Many of the events were held within the confines of the park, most notably the track cycling velodrome and the municipal stadium where the field hockey was won by Pakistan after they beat Australia 2-1.
- At 2240 metres above sea level Mexico City is the highest circuit that has hosted an FIA-sanctioned event. The second highest is Kyalami. The effect of the altitude at the Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez can be measured in terms of engine output. As the height of cars racing increases, air pressure drops and the thinner air has therefore less oxygen available for combustion purposes, so the power decreases in terms of its output. So, for every 100m increase in altitude, engine output usually depletes by approximately one percent.
- Things are different though for the turbocharged engines. A turbo forces air into the engine at a similar pressure to the way it performs at lower altitudes, meaning that the power remains constant. The trade-off is that the turbocharger(s) have to work harder and so other components on the powerunits are susceptible to unreliability. With an MGU-H having to work harder than usual the regeneration will also lose some efficiency.
- The brothers Rodriguez, after whom the circuit is named, are famous throughout racing for their pioneering and successful exploits in F1 and endurance racing. Ricardo Rodríguez is still the youngest driver to score a top three finish at Le Mans, in 1960, while elder brother Pedro Rodríguez won Le Mans in 1968 in a Ford GT40.
- Racing in Mexico has always had a strong family flavour. Current and recent drivers have followed in the footsteps of their fathers and uncles. They have included Roberto Gonzalez, Sr, Michel Jourdain, Sr, Bernard Jourdain, Rodolfo Junco, Sr, and Guillermo Rojas who have all competed at Autodromo Hermanos Rodrigues.
- FIA President Jean Todt has special memories of the Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez. As Team Principal of Peugeot Talbot Sport he oversaw the victory by Keke Rosberg and Yannick Dalmas in Mexico during the 1991 FIA World Sportscar Championship, the second win for the team having won the previous round at Magnys Cours.
- Yannick Dalmas returns to the Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez as the FIA Driver Advisor 2016. The four times 24 Hours of Le Mans winner also made his Formula One debut at the Mexican track in 1987.
- Ferrari Competizioni GT's engineering chief, Maurizio Nardon, will have special memories of the Hermanos Rodriguez track as he was engineering Nigel Mansell at Ferrari in one of his most famous races in 1990. The brave British racer engaged in a superb battle with McLaren’s Gerhard Berger and famously made a spectacular overtaking move around the Austrian in the closing stages of the race at the fearsome Peraltada corner which led on to the start/finish straight. The second place finish was lauded as one of Mansell’s best ever performances.
FIA WEC TIMETABLE
Wednesday 31 August
08:30 -18:30 Scrutineering
17:30 Drivers’ briefing
Thursday 1 September
09:00 - 10:30 Collective Test
13:30 - 15:00 Free Practice #1
16:00 Pre-event Press conference
18:00 - 19:30 Free Practice #2
Friday 2 September
10:00 - 11:00 Free Practice #3
14:10 – 14:30 Qualifying - LMGTE-PRO/LMGTE-AM
14:40 - 15:00 Qualifying - LMP1/LMP2
15:15 Qualifying Press Conference
15:45 - 16:05 Mixed Interview Zone
Saturday 3 September
13:30 - 19:30 RACE: 6 Hours of Mexico
19:45 Post-race Press Conference
FIA OFFICIALS
Eduardo Freitas FIA Race Director
Jean-Francois Veroux FIA WEC Steward (Chairman)
Tim Mayer FIA International Steward
Denis Chevrier FIA Technical Delegate
Jacques Tropenat FIA Medical Delegate
Jeff Carter FIA Media Delegate
David Escribano Chief timekeeper
Yannick Dalmas Driver Adviser
FIA WORLD ENDURANCE CHAMPIONSHIP CLASSIFICATIONS
The provisional classifications for all the Championship can be found on the following link:
FIA WORLD ENDURANCE CHAMPIONSHIP – 6 HOURS OF Mexico
Shortly after the finish of the sessions, results of the event can be found on the following link: