Formula 1 – Mexican Grand Prix Preview (Teams & Drivers)
Mexican Grand Prix Preview – Sahara Force India
Vijay Mallya Talks About Mexico
“We are really looking forward to the weekend in Mexico, it’s a race that has already become a favourite for everyone in Formula 1. “
“Last year, this event felt like a huge celebration of our sport and we are looking forward to expecting the same experience and incredible levels of passion again this year.”
“Off track, this is one of the most important races of our season – we have a large number of Mexican partners and we are keen to get a special result in their home race. Of course, we also have the Checo-Factor, we saw all the fans cheering for him in Austin and we know the huge following he has in his home country.”
“On track, however, this is a race like any other – we need to focus on our job and do it right to move one step closer to our objective of finishing fourth in the championship.”
Sergio Perez – Mexican Grand Prix Preview
“Mexico City may be quit far from my city of Guadalajara but I go there very often for professional reasons. It’s a city that I love and there’s so much going on – the best restaurants, so many sights to see and so many things to do!”
“I have no doubt that this years event will be even better than last year – expectations are huge following the success of 2015.”
“The track itself is absolutely brilliant – my two favourite parts are the fast esses and the Foro Sol – it’s a very technical circuit with some tricky corners at the speeds we are doing.”
“There is no key place where you can make or break your lap except perhaps the slow section inside the stadium – I am really looking forward to trying the track surface – last year was completely new so this year should be a big improvement.”
Nico Hulkenberg – Mexican Grand Prix Preview
“I am really looking forward to going back to Mexico. Last year the whole race was a huge thrill and you could just feel the excitement from the Mexican people as Formula 1 was coming back after more than 20 years!”
“The circuit facilities are nice, even though the track is perhaps not the most challenging, it’s fun to drive!”
“The altitude makes our set-up choice interesting, we have high-downforce on the car but the thin air results in a downforce level similar to what we have in Monza. The car feels massively quick in a straight line and hopefully we can do even better this year!”
Mexican Grand Prix Preview – Williams F1
Valtteri Bottas – Mexican Grand Prix Preview
“Mexico was the best podium in my career so far! When I finished third there last year, it was absolutely incredible to look out on the stadium and see how many people were there after the Mexican Grand Prix hasn’t been since 1992.”
“The atmosphere is amazing and it’s a big city with plenty of traffic on the way to the circuit – the only negative I can think of.”
“The track is challenging because of the high altitude – the top speeds are high and we have less downforce, the thin air also means there is less oxygen and as a driver, it’s slightly more physical.”
“It’s a really cool race and I’m looking forward to going back to such a unique location for a Grand Prix.”
Felipe Massa – Mexican Grand Prix Preview
“Mexico has some of the most amazing fans! In the last sector your really enjoy every lap you’re doing.”
“You have one of the longest straights in Formula 1 – where we achieved the record speed last year.”
Pat Symonds – Chief Technical Officer
“We still regard Mexico as a new avenue as our rate of learning last year was rapid but undoubtedly unfinished.”
“That said, we were able to put one car on the podium here. The altitude is not only a test for the car but also the drivers – the whole pit crew.”
“For a second time in a row, the teams also have to handle back-to-back race events as we continue through the busy final stint of the season.”
Mexican Grand Prix Preview – Mercedes F1
Nico Rosberg – Mexican Grand Prix Preview
“I came into the race on Sunday with a good chance of winning but it didn’t work out – that’s the way it is and I accept that.”
“My goal is to try and win in Mexico as it has been at every race – of course, to be in a championship battle at the end of the year is awesome and I’m excited about that but my approach is to keep it simple.”
“There are still many things that can happen”
“Standing on the podium there (Mexico) last year has been one of the best moments in my career – I hope I can get back up there and experience it again. We’ve got three races left to enjoy this awesome Silver Arrow so I’m planning to make the most of every moment.”
Lewis Hamilton – Mexican Grand Prix Preview
“It was great to finally get that 50th win after a couple of tough weekends. I’ve just continued to keep a positive frame of mind, avoid dwelling on the past, work and train hard – eventually, I knew the result would come.”
“The moment you give up is the moment you lose, I’ve never been one to give up and I don’t plan on starting now.”
“There are still plenty of points available and anything is possible.”
“Mexico is a great place and the experience last time out was just amazing. It’s crazy how slippery the circuit is and with the altitude giving you so little downforce from the car – it’s a big challenge so even though last years race was frustrating, I actually had a lot of fun out there.”
“On top of the that, this has to be one of the best crowds that I’ve seen – there are so many people with so much energy, so much excitement and I’m hoping that these guys will be able to give me that extra lift this weekend too.”
Toto Wolff – Head of Mercedes-Benz Motorsport
“Lewis produced an impressive weekend all round in Austin – after Suzuka, he went away, processed everything and came back stronger which we have seen many times before.”
“The pressure if on both of them this year.”
“It keeps bouncing between the two so I’m really curious as to how it’s going to go from here, then we also have to keep an eye on our rivals which will intensify in the final few races.”
“The game for 2017 has already started so when you throw all these factors into the mix – we’re looking at a very exciting end to the season and the title battle.”
Mexican Grand Prix Preview – McLaren
Fernando Alonso – Mexican Grand Prix Preview
“Last year we went to the Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez with a lot of unknowns and relatively little information about how the cars would perform on the reconfigured circuit.”
“It poses a very difficult set of challenges to many other circuits because of the compromise you need between good downforce on the straights and also strong balance in the twisty stadium section and then you also have the altitude which affects the performance itself!”
“It will be difficult to bring all of the elements together to get the best out of the lap but I’m looking forward to seeing where our package compares to last year.”
“The support we received there made it one of the best crowds all season – the whole team is looking forward to being back here for the second time at this famous circuit.”
“The buzz from the fans really makes a difference and helps us all as drivers – I hope we can achieve a good and enjoyable experience and enjoy a better result on track this time.”
Jenson Button – Mexican Grand Prix Preview
“I really enjoyed driving on this circuit last year – it wasn’t an easy track for us but it’s a really rewarding layout for a driver.”
“Although the famous baked Peraltada wasn’t included in the re-profiled design, the mixture of the very high-speed straights and the infield section at the end of the lap does give you a bit of everything and it puts a smile on your face.”
“We were definitely stronger in the final sector around the stadium so we’ll need to use these strengths and put it to good use if we’re going to give ourselves a fighting challenge this weekend.”
“Everytime you drove around the stadium section you could actually feel the roar from the fans from inside the car – it was unbelievable and I really hope we put on a great show this year.”
Eric Boullier – Racing Director
“We head to the Mexican Grand Prix in the same way we went to Austin as we’re really looking forward to an incredibly warm welcome from the fans who rocked the stadium last year.”
“Achieving a similar result to Austin at this circuit will be no mean feat – it’s a tough track for the chassis due to the high average speeds and big braking zones – it makes the power unite particularly the turbocharge work a lot harder because of the high altitude.”
“It will be interesting to see how our package improves this year and I hope we can bring all the elements together to see a more promising performance than we managed here last year.”
“Saturday will be the most crucial day for us as we need to give ourselves the biggest chance in the race and we can only do that by maximising everything in qualifying.”
“We’ve had incredible support from fans and we’ll work hard to give them a great weekend of racing.”
Mexican Grand Prix Preview – Red Bull Racing
Max Verstappen – Mexican Grand Prix Preview
“The circuit in Mexico is interesting, it’s still really new and they had only just finished it when we went there in 2015. Hopefully this year the grip will have improved and the lap times will be much faster too.”
“The fans are so passionate here in Mexico, a lot came to the race last year so it will be good to see them out in force again this year.”
“Last year, I didn’t get a chance to look around at all – I want to taste some authentic food and see some sights this year.”
Daniel Ricciardo – Mexican Grand Prix Preview
“Last year in Mexico, it was quite challenging and the surface was new so it meant that the grip levels were really low.”
“This year should be a bit more fun with a bit more feeling. The track has some really cool sections – driving slow through the stadium bits means that you can just feel the atmosphere from the fans.”
Mexican Grand Prix Preview – Sauber F1
Marcus Ericsson – Mexican Grand Prix Preview
“I remember the atmosphere at the track and especially driving through the section from Turn 12 to Turn 16 – it made us feel like we were in a football stadium.”
“The Mexicans gave us a really warm welcome last year and I’m sure we’re going to see the same this year – we have clearly made the steps in the right direction but we still need to find more pace to improve and be in order to fight for points.”
Felipe Nasr – Mexican Grand Prix Preview
“At the Mexican Grand Prix last year it was so great to see the grandstands full of people. The atmosphere at the circuit and in Mexico City is just excellent so I am pleased to return this year.”
“I am confident that we are keeping up the work and improving the Sauber in order to make further steps and become more competitive.”
More to follow!
The Formula 1 Girl 🙂
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