2024 F1 Mexican Grand Prix Preview: Alonso's 400th Race

The 2024 F1 World Championship kicks off this weekend with the 20th round of the Mexican Grand Prix at the Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez in Mexico City. [It will be the 400th race for Aston Martin's Fernando Alonso.

Two-time world champion Fernando Alonso, who turned 43 this year, is in his 21st F1 season and has no plans to quit any time soon: in April he signed a new multi-year contract with Aston Martin and will spend half his life in F1 next season, when he turns 44 He will spend half of his life in F1 next season, when he will be 44 years old.

Alonso made his debut in 2001 and won world titles with Renault in 2005 and 2006. When he started racing, some of the current drivers had not yet been born. Then in his debut season in 2001, Alonso raced again with Jean Alesi, who had debuted in 1989. In other words, there are still drivers on the grid who competed against drivers who competed in F1 in the 1980s.

This weekend's Mexican Grand Prix, officially called the Mexico City Grand Prix, will be run on a short 2.7-mile circuit located at an elevation of nearly 7,500 feet (9,000 meters). Due to the lower air density, the engines work harder (oxygen levels are 78% of sea level), and adequate cooling and downforce generation are also greater challenges. Because of the lower air density, top speeds are season highs, typically exceeding 217 mph.

The current layout consists of a long straight, a mixed middle sector, and a final section that includes the famous Peraltada. It is also known for having the longest distance from the starting line to the braking point of the first corner at 2,660 feet.

In Mexico, temperatures vary widely during the day, even within a few hours, which affects the grip levels of the tires. Pirelli named the softest combination of C3, C4, and C5 compounds for the weekend. During Friday's practice sessions, teams will test prototype compounds for the 2025 season.

Ahead of Saturday's qualifying and Sunday's race, Red Bull Racing's Max Verstappen leads the 2024 drivers' championship with 354 points; second is McLaren's Lando Norris with 297 points and third is Ferrari's Charles Leclerc with 275 points. In the Constructors' Championship, McLaren leads with 544 points; second is Red Bull with 504 points and third is Ferrari with 496 points. Last year's winner of the Mexican Grand Prix was Red Bull's Verstappen.