After back-to-back Sprint weekends, the F1 drivers, and particularly their teams, will be glad to get back to the traditional format for this weekend's Mexican Grand Prix.
The biggest difference is that the engineers have a full three hours of practice to dial the cars into the circuit before qualifying, rather than the single hour on a dirty track that they have had to make do with at the last two races.
That proved particularly decisive in Texas last week, as Mercedes driver Lewis Hamilton and Ferrari's Charles Leclerc were disqualified from second and sixth places in the race for running their cars illegally low to the track surface. The error was blamed on the lack of set-up time to calibrate the cars.
- Carlos Sainz fastest qualifier
- Oscar Piastri top-six finish
- Both Alpine points finish
High-Altitude Provides Unique Challenge
The Mexico City circuit lies at over 2,000m above sea level, and the thin air up there makes for a unique challenge for the engineers.
Engines lose performance and it lessens the advantage of the more powerful units. Despite that, the track usually sees the highest top-speeds of the year, as aerodynamics also work a lot less efficiently.
Ferrari To Be Strong Over One Lap
Qualifying has been a strength for Ferrari all season and the Mexican track should be particularly to their liking.
The red cars have been at their best around circuits with fiddly slow corners and long straights, and Mexico City certainly fits that description.
They also have fantastic recent qualifying form, with Charles Leclerc having topped United States Grand Prix qualifying last week while only missing out by the narrowest of margins in the sprint shootout.
His team-mate Carlos Sainz has been a bit off the pace recently, but loves this kind of circuit and could offer better value, while backing Ferrari to be the qualifying winning car could be another option.
CARLOS SAINZ FASTEST QUALIFIER
Mexico should suit Sainz
Piastri Value To Bounce Back
After a stellar weekend at the Qatar Grand Prix that saw him win the Sprint and finish second in the Grand Prix, McLaren's Oscar Piastri came back to earth with a bump in Texas.
And that is meant literally, as the Australian rookie was involved in first-corner collisions in both the Sprint and Grand Prix that compromised his car's handling thereafter.
There is likely to be fierce competition to be best of the rest behind Verstappen in Mexico, with Ferrari, Mercedes and McLaren all hopeful of taking the fight to the Dutchman, not to mention Verstappen's team-mate, local hero Sergio Perez.
But Piastri has shown that he is a huge talent in his debut year, and the odds look too big that he ends up in the top six.
Alpine to boost points
Alpine Can Boost Points Tally
One team who will be looking forward to the rare air of Mexico City is Alpine.
The French team believe their Renault power unit lags behind their rivals in terms of potency, but that will be mitigated in Mexico.
The team were on course for a double points finish at the track last year before Fernando Alonso suffered a mechanical failure, and they arrive in decent form this time around.
Both cars reached the qualifying top-ten shootout at the last two races while Pierre Gasly finished sixth in Texas, his third points finish in four races.
Esteban Ocon is due some luck, and suffered race-ending damage in an opening-lap collision with Piastri in Texas. However, the Frenchman has collected points in eight of the last nine races he has completed.
