F1 News

Tyre warm-up could be difficult in Mexico

"Tyre warm-up could be difficult in Mexico"

23-10-2019 08:25 Last update: 08:39

Heating tyres has been one of the biggest talking points of the season. For the first 10 races, seemingly only Mercedes had mastered the Pirelli compounds. As the season has moved forward, more teams have become accustomed but the likes of Haas and Williams continue to struggle. 

Dave Robson, Senior Race Engineer at Williams suggests that the tyre heating will be difficult and the team will need to pay close attention to this during both Friday sessions. 

"Pirelli have provided their middle compounds for this event, a combination that we saw recently in Russia. Warm-up could be difficult, especially in the early sessions but this should get easier as the weekend progresses," Robson said. 

The 4.4km track is located at just over 2,000m (~7,500ft) above sea level. This point has been a common theme across all of the teams' previews for the Mexican Grand Prix. With the thinner air, it becomes an extra challenge for the drivers and cars. Luckily, Robson provides some detailed explanation. He's hoping Robert Kubica and George Russell can collect enough data in FP1 to be able to get the right set-up for Saturday and Sunday. 

"At more than 2km above sea level, Mexico City is a tricky circuit. The aerodynamics of the car becomes less effective and despite the long straights, the drag sensitivity is only moderate. Cooling of the power unit and the brakes can be very difficult, and most teams will spend time evaluating options during FP1," Robson added.