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With the 2019 CBMM Niobium Mexico City E-Prix – the ABB FIA Formula E Championship’s fourth time to the capital city - just days away, we look back and uncover some of the lesser-known stats and facts about Formula E’s racing history in Mexico.
10. The City of Palaces
With foundations dating back to the 14th century, the high-altitude Mexican city once nicknamed La Ciudad de los Palacios is the oldest capital city in the Americas.
9. Mexico City - a populous place
As one of the most populous cities and metropolitan areas in the world, Mexico City is also the capital of a country that has the world’s largest population of Spanish speakers. That’s about two and a half times that of Spain, just to put things into perspective. The city proper has a population of approx. nine million, but the population of Greater Mexico City is over 21 million.
8. Track back
The Autodromo Hermanos Rodrigues – home to the Mexico City E-Prix for the past four years – was first built in 1959 and named after brothers and former racing drivers, Ricardo and Pedro Rodriguez. The circuit is a permanent racing facility located within the public park in the Magdalena Mixhuca Sports City. The layout has been specifically modified for Formula E, but while still preserving the famous, fast Peraltada curve and striking Foro Sol stadium section.
7. Driving high
Located 2.2km above sea level, it is one of the highest tracks in the world and the altitude adds another dimension to the challenges posed by the 2.093 km track. The Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez circuit has hosted races from numerous categories, including IndyCar, Formula One and NASCAR. In 2002, a record crowd of 402,413 attended a round of the CART Championship.
6. Keeping it local
Two Mexican drivers have raced in Formula E over the series’ history. Salvador Duran took part with Aguri in the series’ first two seasons, during which he secured points’ finishes on three occasions, with 6th his best position in Moscow back in June 2015. Meantime, Esteban Gutierrez raced for Techeetah in three E-Prix in Season three, scoring points in two of them.
5. Climate change
After the hottest races in Formula E history took place in Santiago just a few weeks back (where temperatures reached new record highs of 38.3 degrees Celsius), Mexico City will provide cooler conditions for all 22 cars and drivers. That said, the temperature is expected to reach around 27°C /80°F in Mexico City next weekend (like last year here, when the track temperature peaked at 41°C).
4. Good memories for Audi
The Mexico City E-Prix has produced three different winners from the three races held in the capital to date. Audi Sport Abt Schaeffler’s Lucas di Grassi crossed the line first in two of those races, but the inaugural Mexico City E-Prix ultimately went down as a victory for Jerome d'Ambrosio after di Grassi was disqualified (for an underweight car). The Brazilian enjoyed better luck the following year, in April 2017, when he produced one of the series’ best ever drives by winning the race here after starting 15th on the grid. Last season, it was di Grassi’s team-mate, Daniel Abt, who was successful in Mexico City, where he recorded his maiden win in Formula E (with a gap of +6.398 seconds). So Audi has actually crossed the finish line first in all 3 Mexico City E-Prix and only di Grassi’s DQ has prevented them from making it a hat-trick of Mexican victories. There have also been three different drivers on pole in Mexico City - Jerome d'Ambrosio, Oliver Turvey and Felix Rosenqvist.
3. It’s all about the margin
Audi Sport Abt Schaeffler's Daniel Abt took the chequered flag for the win in last year’s Mexico City E-Prix with a considerable +6.398 second gap over NIO Formula E Team's Oliver Turvey in second.
2. Milestones in Mexico City
The 2019 CBMM Niobium Mexico City E-Prix will be the 49th race since the ABB FIA Formula E Championship started back in 2014. In Hong Kong, the series will clock its all-important 50th milestone.
1. Track record
After faring well in all three Mexican races, it was Lucas di Grassi who set the Mexico City E-Prix lap record during the first practice session last year, posting a time of 1:01.158. With Gen2 proving it can shave two or more seconds off the Gen1 car’s times, expect the lap record to be reset this time around.