Mexico City. 28 October 2022 – The FORMULA 1 MEXICO CITY GRAND PRIX Presented by Heineken began at the Autódromo Hermanos Rodriguez in front of 108,981-strong crowd, when Ferrari reminded us how unpredictable the sport can be. The celebration of 60 years of Formula 1 commenced with eyes on the future as Mexico City welcomed the three-year renewal of its race contract with first track session showcasing some youngsters aiming for a Formula 1 drive in the years to come.
Carlos Sainz’s Ferrari topped the times in the opening session with a 1:20.707, but teammate Charles Leclerc brought proceedings to a standstill in the longer second session when he hit the barrier hard on the outside of Turn 8.
“I’m okay – but not the car,” said a rueful Leclerc, and the Ferrari mechanics face a late night as they repair what looked like substantial damage to the car’s rear end. George Russell went on to top the times for Mercedes with a 1:19.970, and the fans waving ‘Go Checo!’ flags saw local hero Sergio Pérez finishing fifth, but the day’s biggest news came off-track.
Before track action began, Red Bull Racing learned they must pay $7 million for a breach of F1’s cost cap in 2021. The team also faces a 10 per cent reduction in the time spent in wind-tunnel testing of its new car for 2023. Governing body the FIA called this ‘a minor sporting penalty’, but Team Principal Christian Horner said it could mean a loss in lap times of between a quarter and a half a second.
Meanwhile the Alpine team welcomed the news that Fernando Alonso’s seventh place in the last race in Austin has been reinstated on appeal, meaning that the French outfit now enjoys an 11-point lead over McLaren as they fight for fourth spot in the Constructors’ Standings.
Looking at the future, the one-hour opening session featured five young drivers looking to cement their own places at the top of the sport for 2023 and beyond.
F1’s global reach was underlined as Jack Doohan of Australia, the 19-year-old son of 500cc legend Mick, had his first outing in an official F1 session with Alpine Renault, while 21-year-old American
Logan Sargeant enjoyed another rehearsal for a probable full-time drive with Williams in 2023.
Nyck de Vries, the 27-year-old Dutchman who is already certain of graduating to the grid full-time in 2023 with Alpha Tauri, enjoyed another useful session for Mercedes, adding to the outstanding points finish he recorded in a one-off race with Williams at Monza this year.
Also running was Pietro Fittipaldi, 26-year-old grandson of two-time F1 world champion Emerson Fittipaldi, who is reserve driver for Haas but also had to stop early with engine problems.
The session stopped two minutes early when the Alpha Tauri of 20-year-old New Zealander Lawson pulled to a halt with its brakes on fire. But Lawson had the consolation of finishing best of the temporary quintet in 16th place.
The most dramatic moment of that session came when World Champion and three-time Mexico winner Max Verstappen spun his Red Bull without hitting the walls. “Unbelievable!” chuckled Verstappen. “I couldn’t control it – so little grip.” He will hope for more on Saturday as he bids to take pole for the second time in Mexico.
For further information on FORMULA 1 GRAN PREMIO DE LA CIUDAD DE MÉXICO 2022 Presented by Heineken visit: http://www.mexicogp.mx/
About the FORMULA 1 GRAN PREMIO DE LA CIUDAD DE MÉXICO 2022 Presented by Heineken
Recognized with the award “F1’s Best Event” for the five past editions, the FORMULA 1 GRAN PREMIO DE LA CIUDAD DE MÉXICO 2022 Presented by Heineken has proven to be much more than a sporting competition to become an unparalleled promotional platform to share with the world Mexico City’s rich cultural heritage and tourist attractions.
About Formula 1®
The history of Formula 1® began in 1950 and is the most prestigious motorsport competition in the world, as well as the most popular annual sports series in the world. Formula One World Championship Limited is part of Formula 1 and holds the exclusive commercial rights to the FIA Formula One World Championship™.
Formula 1 is a subsidiary of Liberty Media Corporation (NASDAQ: LSXMA, LSXMB, LSXMK, BATRA, BATRK, FWONA, FWONK) attributed to the shares of the Formula One Group.
The logo of F1 FORMULA 1, FORMULA 1, F1, FIA FORMULA ONE WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP, GRAND PRIX, PADDOCK CLUB and related brands are registered trademarks of Formula One Licensing BV, a Formula 1 company. All rights reserved.
For further information about Formula 1®, visit: www.formula1.com
About CIE:
Corporación Interamericana de Entretenimiento, S.A.B de C. V. www.cie.com.mx
Established in 1990, Corporación Interamericana de Entretenimiento (“CIE”) (BMV: CIE) is an outstanding participant in the out-of-home entertainment industry in Latin America. It promotes and produces concerts, music festivals, theater shows, and sporting, family and cultural events. CIE operates Centro Citibanamex, which is a venue for expositions and conventions in Mexico City, and the amusement park El Salitre Mágico in Colombia. The Company also produces corporate events and events for the public sector. CIE promotes and markets the Formula 1 Grand Prix in Mexico City.
Corporación Interamericana de Entretenimiento is a publicly traded company whose shares have been listed on the Mexican Stock Exchange since 1995 under the ticker symbol “CIE.”
