Will Lewis Hamilton take the World Championship at the Mexico Grand Prix?

The competition this year is looking good for Mercedes. The only person who could snatch victory from the hands of Lewis Hamilton is his team mate Valtteri Bottas but Hamilton is still a good way ahead and this race in Mexico City at the Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez could see Hamilton take the World Championship. If he fails to finish in the top four then the title race will move on the US GP next month.

Lewis Hamilton has his concerns

So you’d think Lewis Hamilton would be breezing into this Grand Prix full of confidence, but in actual fact he is not. It’s the Mexico circuit that is the problem. Hamilton states that it is the teams ‘Achilles heel’ and Mercedes believe that their vehicles will not perform at their best on this track due to the high altitude and low air density affecting cooling, downforce and engine performance.

A party atmosphere in Mexico

The race day coincides with the Mexican Day of the Dead festival, so it’s going to be riotous affair with a carnival atmosphere and some great music. Spectators are going to have a real treat with colourful displays throughout the venue and fabulous Mariachi bands entertaining the crowds.

The Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez Circuit

This unique circuit that provides so many challenges, particularly for Mercedes, was built in 1962. The F1 Grand Prix was held here from 1962 to 1970, but problems with crowd control caused the event to be cancelled. It made a brief reappearance in the late 80s and early 90s but a problem with air pollution and the deterioration of the track itself put the circuit once again out of the F1 calendar. The circuit was then renovated and some dangerous spots made safer and the race was on again from 2015, with a contract in place until 2022.

This is a 71 lap race around the 305.354km circuit. The driver with the most wins here was Jim Clark with three wins. Sadly Clark died in a Formula Two accident in 1968 at Hockenheim, no one has yet beaten his record. The constructor with the most wins here in Lotus with four.

One title away from the world record

If Hamilton wins this World Championship, he is only one title away from equally the record of seven achieved by Michael Schumacher.