F1 Mexico GP 2022 Pre-Race Report
Prediction: Max gets grid penalty for an engine change allowing Perez to start from pole and win. Make it happen, Mr. Horner.
Sitting 2km above sea level, the Autodromo continues to provide an exciting race, especially when the cars wind through the baseball stadium.
Winners of this GP are also more diverse in their grid positions. 42.86% of the winners have been on the pole, followed by 23.81% from 3rd place. Starting second gives you only a 19.05% chance of winning, it seems and starting fourth has a 9.52% chance.
With the news of Audi taking over Alfa Romeo in 2026, it will be interesting to see if the new team owner will keep Bottas and Zhou. As a manufacturer, having Zhou in the car brings great value, not to mention by 2026, he will have and should have, matured to his peak. Bottas provides a bit of stability to the team, but his performance is limited. Either way, both driver’s contracts will be up at the end of 2023, which means there will be a two-year gap before Audi takes the rein. It is still a long way away, but it will be interesting to see how Alfa will transition to Audi in the next few years.
Now that both the drivers and constructor championship are done and dusted. The question everyone is wondering now is, will Red Bull gift Perez a win in his home race this weekend? While every driver preferred to win by their own effort, there is no question that Max is the better driver in the field, not to mention he had won here 3 times already (The most successful driver at this GP). Perez will need a bit of help and charity if he wants to put a stamp on his home race as the only Mexican who is able to win here. Just imagine the party that will explode throughout the country after the checkered flag!
But time is running out for Perez, and I think he needs to maximize the advantage Red Bull has (and is willing to give) this year as well as his aging career. I hope Red Bull will make it look good for the sake of everyone. Time for Max to get that fifth engine???
Meme of the Grid:
Check out The Sample! One of my favourite newsletter discovery tools. It lets you sample other newsletters depending on your interests. Try it out!