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For the first time since February 2020, the ABB FIA Formula E World Championship is set to return to Mexico’s high-altitude capital this weekend (12 February 2022)
The ABB FIA Formula E World Championship will take place in Mexico City for the sixth time this coming weekend. The last time the Mexican capital played host to the all-electric race series was during the 2019/20 season.
Last year, racing took place at Puebla some 100 kilometres to the east of Mexico City, as the Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez in Mexico City was being used as a hospital for COVID19 patients.
The Mercedes-EQ Formula E Team have only raced once so far on the track in the Mexican capital, but it did not go to plan as far as results were concerned. Both Nyck de Vries and Stoffel Vandoorne retired early from the race held in Mexico City during Season 6.
Things were only marginally better in the two E-Prix held at the Autodromo Miguel E Abed in Puebla the following year in Season 7. Both Stoffel and Nyck went on strong charges in Race 1 after having had a tough time in qualifying and went on to finish in the points, coming seventh and ninth respectively. In the second round, Stoffel came home in P13 while Nyck was forced to retire.
For its return to the Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez this year, Formula E will not be lining up on the Formula One track layout but on the 2.606 km configuration used in Season 6. The circuit consists of eight left-hand and eight right-hand turns and offers a mix of long straights plus a narrow stadium section. Mexico is the venue with the highest altitude above sea level of any track on the calendar at more than 2,000 metres.
In contrast to the season-opening round at Diriyah, the Mexico City E-Prix is not a double-header, so all sessions, including Practice 1 and Practice 2, Qualifying and the Race itself will take place on the same day (Saturday, 12 February). Qualifying will commence at 17:40 GMT and the Mexico City E-Prix will get underway at 22:04 GMT.
Comments ahead of the Mexico-City E-Prix 2022
Nyck de Vries:
“I’m really looking forward to the second race weekend of the season in Mexico after the season-opener in Diriyah. We’ve had a most encouraging start to the season but are very aware of the challenges that still lie ahead of us. We know how competitive our rivals are, so we have to bring our A game in order to remain major contenders. Everyone is bunched very close together, but we feel confident about the event in Mexico and are fully focused on preparations as usual right now. Mexico City is an amazing place. The fans are super enthusiastic and the stadium section on the final sector is terrific. It’s just a tremendous venue for an E-Prix. Hopefully, we can have another great weekend there.”
Stoffel Vandoorne:
“All in all, we had a good start to the season in Diriyah, although we left Saudi Arabia with mixed feelings. After having had a very successful first race, our results perhaps didn’t quite match expectations on the second day. We just couldn’t extract the maximum out of that second race, but it shows that we have to stay humble and continue to work hard on all the details if we want to compete consistently at the highest level. At the same time, it shows just how intense competition in the series actually is. I’m really looking forward to heading to Mexico again. It’s one of the most amazing races of the year, especially where the fans are concerned – they are extremely passionate about our sport. Driving through the stadium in front of all the spectators will feel incredible. The circuit is very energy sensitive, and we’ve done relatively well there in the past although that may not always have been apparent from the results. We still have untapped potential in Mexico and I hope that we can realise it this year. We will continue to work hard towards achieving that goal in the days ahead.”
Ian James, Team Principal:
“Diriyah was a good weekend for the team. It might surprise some people that I am not calling it a great weekend. Yes, we did take two Pole Positions and a 1-2 win in the first race, but we found ourselves slightly on the back foot later on in the weekend. Since then, we’ve been working hard on understanding why we failed to realise our potential in Race 2 and how we improve going forward.
Now, less than two weeks later, we are already on our way to the next race weekend of the season: the Mexico City E-Prix awaits us. Mexico is always a fantastic place to visit. There is excitement in the air and the fans are extremely passionate about racing. Having fans return to the track for this weekend will, undoubtedly, be one of the highlights.
In Mexico, we are planning on realising the pace we know we can achieve with our team and our car package. Our powertrain has proven to be a strong contender at track, but above all: our people have shown time and time again that they are up for a challenge. That prospect makes me excited for the race weekend to come!”
