The
Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez ("
Rodríguez Brothers Racetrack") is a 4.421 km (2.7 mi) race track in
Mexico CityMexico City is the Federal District , capital of Mexico and seat of the federal powers of the Mexican Union. It is a federal entity within Mexico which is not part of any one of the 31 Mexican states but belongs to the federation as a whole...
,
MexicoThe United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federal constitutional republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of...
, named for the famous racing drivers Ricardo and
Pedro RodríguezPedro Rodríguez was a Mexican Grand Prix motor racing driver. He was born in Mexico City and was the older brother of Ricardo Rodríguez.-Career:...
. The circuit got its name shortly after it opened when
Ricardo RodríguezRicardo Rodríguez was a Mexican racing driver who competed in the 1961 and 1962 Formula One seasons. His elder brother, Pedro, was also a noted racing driver who had much success in sports car racing and Formula One....
died in practice for the non-Championship
1962 Mexican Grand PrixThe I Gran Premio de Mexico was held on 4 November 1962 at the Magdalena Mixhuca circuit, Mexico City. The race was a non-Championship event run to Formula One rules and attracted a large entry, including many top teams and drivers...
. Ricardo's brother
PedroPedro Rodríguez was a Mexican Grand Prix motor racing driver. He was born in Mexico City and was the older brother of Ricardo Rodríguez.-Career:...
also lost his life behind the wheel years later).
Built in a public park in 1962, the circuit hosted its first
Formula OneFormula One, also known as Formula 1 or F1 and referred to officially as the FIA Formula One World Championship, is the highest class of single seater auto racing sanctioned by the Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile . The "formula" designation in the name refers to a set of rules with which...
Grand PrixGrand Prix motor racing has its roots in organised automobile racing that began in France as far back as 1894. It quickly evolved from a simple road race from one town to the next, to endurance tests for car and driver...
the same year, as a non-Championship race. The following year the
Mexican Grand PrixThe Mexican Grand Prix was a Formula One auto race held at the Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez in Mexico City. It first appeared as a non-championship event in 1962 before being held as a championship event from 1963-1970 and 1986-1992....
became a full World Championship event. The circuit remained part of the F1 calendar through 1970, when spectator overcrowding caused unsafe conditions. When the track re-opened in 1986, the circuit boasted a new pit complex, as well as improved safety all around. The Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez (as of 2011) has been the only venue for the Mexican Grand Prix.
The circuit is located within the public park of the
Magdalena Mixhuca Sports CityThe Magdalena Mixhuca Sports City is an Olympic Park which was used during the 1968 Summer Olympics. Found in the area of Mexico City known as the Magdalena mixhuca, the Park continues to serve as a venue for cultural, social, and sport events such as events of worship...
in northeast
Mexico CityMexico City is the Federal District , capital of Mexico and seat of the federal powers of the Mexican Union. It is a federal entity within Mexico which is not part of any one of the 31 Mexican states but belongs to the federation as a whole...
. The circuit is owned by the Government of the City, but is currently operated under concession by Corporación Interamericana de Entretenimiento, S.A. de C.V. or CIE, through OCESA, one of CIE's subsidiaries. CIE also organizes the
NASCARThe National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing is a family-owned and -operated business venture that sanctions and governs multiple auto racing sports events. It was founded by Bill France Sr. in 1947–48. As of 2009, the CEO for the company is Brian France, grandson of the late Bill France Sr...
and Desafío Corona races in this circuit and rents the circuits to other parties, including race organizers, automobile clubs and track amateurs for fees that are controversial due to their disproportionately high amounts compared to other ex-F1 courses.
The
NASCARThe National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing is a family-owned and -operated business venture that sanctions and governs multiple auto racing sports events. It was founded by Bill France Sr. in 1947–48. As of 2009, the CEO for the company is Brian France, grandson of the late Bill France Sr...
Nationwide Series started racing at Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez in the 2005 season and ended in the 2008 season.
Martin Truex Jr.Martin Lee Truex Jr. is a NASCAR driver. He drives the #56 NAPA Auto Parts Toyota Camry for Michael Waltrip Racing in the Sprint Cup Series. Truex is a two-time Nationwide Series champion; having won the title in 2004 and 2005. His younger brother, Ryan is a champion in the K&N Pro Series East...
won the race in 2005, and
Denny HamlinJames Dennis Alan "Denny" Hamlin is an American race car driver. Though originally born in Tampa, Florida, Hamlin was raised for most of his life in Chesterfield, Virginia. After racing in go-karts for a number of years, he worked his way up to Late Models by 2004 and signed a development contract...
won in 2006. For the 2007 race, the chicane was removed to increase passing opportunities down the front straight and into turn 1, and
Juan Pablo MontoyaJuan Pablo Montoya Roldán is a Colombian race car driver known internationally for participating and winning in Formula One and CART race competitions. He has enjoyed great success. Currently, he competes in NASCAR, driving the #42 Target Chevrolet Impala for Earnhardt Ganassi Racing in the Sprint...
from
BogotáBogotá, Distrito Capital , from 1991 to 2000 called Santa Fé de Bogotá, is the capital, and largest city, of Colombia. It is also designated by the national constitution as the capital of the department of Cundinamarca, even though the city of Bogotá now comprises an independent Capital district...
,
ColombiaColombia, officially the Republic of Colombia , is a unitary constitutional republic comprising thirty-two departments. The country is located in northwestern South America, bordered to the east by Venezuela and Brazil; to the south by Ecuador and Peru; to the north by the Caribbean Sea; to the...
, won the race.
Kyle BuschKyle Thomas Busch, is an American NASCAR driver and team owner. He currently drives the No. 18 Mars/Interstate Batteries Toyota Camry for Joe Gibbs Racing in the Sprint Cup Series, the No. 18 Z-Line Designs/NOS Energy Drink Toyota Camry for Joe Gibbs in the Nationwide Series, and the No...
was the winner of the race in 2008.
The
A1 Grand PrixA1 Grand Prix was a 'single make' open-wheel auto racing series. It was unique in its field in that competitors solely represented their nation as opposed to themselves or a team, the usual format in most formula racing series. As such, it was often promoted as the "World Cup of Motorsport"...
series started racing at Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez in the
06-07 seasonThe 2006–07 A1 Grand Prix season was the second season for the A1 Grand Prix series.It began on 1 October 2006, at Circuit Park Zandvoort, and the season ended at Brands Hatch on 29 April 2007. A1 Team Germany won it with 128 points, 35 points lead ahead Team New Zealand.-Teams:24 teams, each...
using the full-track configuration used by
Formula OneFormula One, also known as Formula 1 or F1 and referred to officially as the FIA Formula One World Championship, is the highest class of single seater auto racing sanctioned by the Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile . The "formula" designation in the name refers to a set of rules with which...
.
Alex YoongAlexander Charles Yoong Loong , is a Malaysian race car driver of European and Asian parentage. His mother, Joanna Bean, is from England. His father, Hanifah Yoong Yin Fah , a Malaysian Chinese, is a former racer and manager of the Shah Alam circuit between 1988 and 1998...
from
MalaysiaA1 Team Malaysia is the Malaysian team of A1 Grand Prix, an international racing series.- Management :A1 Team Malaysia is operated by A1 Team Sdn. Bhd...
won the sprint race and
Oliver JarvisOliver Jarvis is a racing driver.- Racing career :Oliver was first introduced to motorsport from an early age when his father Carl was competing in Formula Ford 1600...
from the
United KingdomThe United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
won the feature race. In the
07-08 seasonThe 2007-08 A1 Grand Prix season was the third in the relatively short history of the championship.- Teams :All teams used same A1 Grand Prix car including chassis , engine and tyre...
,
Jonny ReidJonathan Ross Reid, more commonly known as Jonny Reid, is a New Zealand racing driver. Reid comes from a well-known New Zealand racing family. Both his grandfather and his father were known kiwi racers. His father, Clayton Reid, was a New Zealand champion in karting...
from
New ZealandA1 Team New Zealand is the New Zealand team of A1 Grand Prix, an international racing series.- Management :The team was formed by and is owned by prominent Auckland businessman Colin Giltrap, well known for this car dealerships. The team is managed by Kiwi Bob McMurray who retired last year after...
won the sprint race and
Adam CarrollAdam Carroll is a Northern Irish racing driver. He currently races in the GP2 Series for Super Nova and in Auto GP for Campos Racing, making his debut with pole position at Donington Park...
of
Team IrelandA1 Team Ireland is the Irish team of A1 Grand Prix, an international racing series. The team were the A1 Grand Prix champions for the fourth season, 2008-09.- The Team :...
won the feature race.
The Grand Prix circuit
The circuit itself has a very bumpy surface, mostly due to Mexico City's location on a geologically active region. Furthermore, with an elevation of 2,285 m,(7,500 ft) the thin air makes breathing more difficult for both the drivers and their cars.
The circuit has an extremely fast final corner (the
peraltada) before a long start/finish straight, and thus reminded some of
MonzaThe Autodromo Nazionale Monza is a race track located near the town of Monza, north of Milan, in Italy. The circuit's biggest event is the Formula One Italian Grand Prix, which has been hosted there since the sport's inception....
; however, unlike Monza's
parabolica curve, the
peraltada curve is slightly banked, allowing even more speed through the corner. It was at this corner that Rodríguez crashed, although it is unclear whether this was due to excess speed or suspension failure. After the last F1 Mexican Grand Prix in 1992, a baseball stadium was built on the innerpart of this curve. When the
Champ CarChamp Car was the name for a class and specification of open wheel cars used in American Championship Car Racing for many decades, primarily for use in the Indianapolis 500 auto race...
series began using the track in 2002, the
peraltada curve was partially bypassed by a series of sharp turns entering and exiting the baseball field; re-entering the
peraltada halfway through.
In the 2005
NASCARThe National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing is a family-owned and -operated business venture that sanctions and governs multiple auto racing sports events. It was founded by Bill France Sr. in 1947–48. As of 2009, the CEO for the company is Brian France, grandson of the late Bill France Sr...
Nationwide Series season, there was a
chicaneA chicane is an artificial feature creating extra turns in a road, used in motor racing and on city streets to slow cars to lower speeds.- Motor Racing :...
on the main straightaway to slow the cars down. They also introduced a curve between the short course and the Ese del Lago to bypass the latter, but avoiding the stadium detour.
The oval track
In the Autódromo, it's also possible to make an oval track, thanks to a flat turn that goes from the middle of the main straightaway to the beginning of the backstretch. The oval is raced in counter-clockwise direction, as opposed to the road course.
The oval configuration of this Mexico City facility is arguably the most dangerous racetrack in Mexico, because of the limited visibility at the exit of Turns 2 and 4. This is because the Foro Sol baseball stadium is located inside turns 1 and 2; and several trees are located inside turns 3 and 4.
During the 2006 season, two horrific accidents occurred in the oval track during
NASCAR Mexico T4 SeriesThe NASCAR Mexico T4 Series is a semi-professional four-cylinder racing series in Mexico. It is promoted and sanctioned by NASCAR Mexico, the Mexico City-based NASCAR office....
events, which took several drivers out of the race and even required some of them to be taken to the hospital.
The oval configuration is used at least twice a year, with two double-feature events featuring the NASCAR Mexico Corona Series and the
NASCAR Mexico T4 SeriesThe NASCAR Mexico T4 Series is a semi-professional four-cylinder racing series in Mexico. It is promoted and sanctioned by NASCAR Mexico, the Mexico City-based NASCAR office....
.
Current races
- NASCAR Mexico Corona Series - 1 race in the oval
- Copa Turismo México - Copa Turismo México Presentada por Continental y FIAT
- Moto Pro México - Copa Turismo México Presentada por Continental y FIAT
Records
- A1 Grand Prix Qualifying: Alex Yoong
Alexander Charles Yoong Loong , is a Malaysian race car driver of European and Asian parentage. His mother, Joanna Bean, is from England. His father, Hanifah Yoong Yin Fah , a Malaysian Chinese, is a former racer and manager of the Shah Alam circuit between 1988 and 1998...
, 1:26.490 (115.015 mph), 2007
- Champ Car
Champ Car was the name for a class and specification of open wheel cars used in American Championship Car Racing for many decades, primarily for use in the Indianapolis 500 auto race...
Qualifying: Will PowerWilliam Steven Power is an Australian motorsport driver, who currently competes in the Indy Racing League IndyCar Series, driving for Team Penske.-Australian Racing:...
, 1:23.558 (119.601mph), November 10th, 2007
- CART/Champ Car (IndyCar) Race (1980 Primera Copa Mexico 150
The Gran Premio Tecate was a round of the Champ Car World Series held on the Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez circuit in Mexico City, Mexico. It was first held in 1980, and in its first two years of competition was the penultimate round of the championship. After its re-inception in 2002, it was the...
): Rick MearsRick Ravon Mears is a retired American race car driver. He is one of three men to have won the Indianapolis 500-Mile Race four times , and the current record-holder for pole positions in the race with six...
, 1h 16m 43sec (116.376mph), October 26th, 1980
- NASCAR Nationwide Series Qualifying: Scott Pruett
Scott Donald Pruett is an American race car driver who has competed in NASCAR, Champ Car, IMSA, Trans-Am and Grand-Am. He and his wife Judy have three children, and are children's book authors....
, 1:27.458 (103.647 mph), 2007
- NASCAR Nationwide Series Race (200 miles): Juan Pablo Montoya
Juan Pablo Montoya Roldán is a Colombian race car driver known internationally for participating and winning in Formula One and CART race competitions. He has enjoyed great success. Currently, he competes in NASCAR, driving the #42 Target Chevrolet Impala for Earnhardt Ganassi Racing in the Sprint...
, 2 hrs. 45 min. 15 sec. (74.969 mph), March 4, 2007
The baseball stadium
The Autódromo is unique in the sense that there is a baseball stadium inside Turn 14(Peraltada). The stadium, called Foro Sol, is home to the
Diablos Rojos del MéxicoDiablos Rojos del México is a professional baseball team in the Mexican League.This team is located in Mexico City. The team name, Diablos Rojos del México, means Mexico City Red Devils. It is often believed that they are named after the Cincinnati Reds. That is, however, not the case...
, and also hosts music concerts.
Artists like
Paul McCartneySir James Paul McCartney, MBE, Hon RAM, FRCM is an English musician, singer-songwriter and composer. Formerly of The Beatles and Wings , McCartney is listed in Guinness World Records as the "most successful musician and composer in popular music history", with 60 gold discs and sales of 100...
,
MetallicaMetallica is an American heavy metal band from Los Angeles, California. Formed in 1981 when James Hetfield responded to an advertisement that drummer Lars Ulrich had posted in a local newspaper. The current line-up features long-time lead guitarist Kirk Hammett and bassist Robert Trujillo ...
,
Pink FloydPink Floyd were an English rock band that achieved worldwide success with their progressive and psychedelic rock music. Their work is marked by the use of philosophical lyrics, sonic experimentation, innovative album art, and elaborate live shows. Pink Floyd are one of the most commercially...
,
SantanaSantana is a rock band based around guitarist Carlos Santana and founded in the late 1960s. It first came to public attention after their performing the song "Soul Sacrifice" at the Woodstock Festival in 1969, when their Latin rock provided a contrast to other acts on the bill...
,
The Rolling StonesThe Rolling Stones are an English rock band, formed in London in April 1962 by Brian Jones , Ian Stewart , Mick Jagger , and Keith Richards . Bassist Bill Wyman and drummer Charlie Watts completed the early line-up...
,
MadonnaMadonna is an American singer-songwriter, actress and entrepreneur. Born in Bay City, Michigan, she moved to New York City in 1977 to pursue a career in modern dance. After performing in the music groups Breakfast Club and Emmy, she released her debut album in 1983...
,
U2U2 are an Irish rock band from Dublin. Formed in 1976, the group consists of Bono , The Edge , Adam Clayton , and Larry Mullen, Jr. . U2's early sound was rooted in post-punk but eventually grew to incorporate influences from many genres of popular music...
, and
RadioheadRadiohead are an English rock band from Abingdon, Oxfordshire, formed in 1985. The band consists of Thom Yorke , Jonny Greenwood , Ed O'Brien , Colin Greenwood and Phil Selway .Radiohead released their debut single "Creep" in 1992...
are just a few of the names that have played there.
The Coca-Cola Zero Festival was held at the racetrack on April 12, 2008 (http://coca-colazero.com.mx/). Acts included The Smashing Pumpkins, The Mars Volta, My Chemical Romance, My Morning Jacket, Belanova, Bright Eyes, Kinky, Miranda, La Gusana Ciega, Jumbo, Division Minuscula, Timo Maas, Quiero Club, The Faint, Chetes, Le Baron, and Austin TV.
Trivia
- Pope John Paul II gave mass to nearly 2 million faithful at the Autódromo in 1999.
- Mexique is one of the racing circuits available for the Formula Dé
Formula D is a board game that recreates formula racing . It was designed by Eric Randall and Laurent Lavaur and was originally published by Ludodélire. The rights to the game passed to EuroGames with the collapse of Ludodélire, who in turn were acquired by Asmodée Éditions...
board game.
- 1/4 mile drag racing events are also held here on occasion, on the main straightaway.
- The Government of Mexico City
Mexico City is the Federal District , capital of Mexico and seat of the federal powers of the Mexican Union. It is a federal entity within Mexico which is not part of any one of the 31 Mexican states but belongs to the federation as a whole...
organizes a marathon and bicycle races on the circuit.
- Exotic models are often tested by specialized media in the circuit. Models have included the Enzo Ferrari
The Enzo Ferrari is a 12 cylinder mid-engine berlinetta named after the company's founder, Enzo Ferrari. It was built in 2002 using Formula One technology, such as a carbon-fibre body, F1-style electrohydraulic shift transmission, and Carbon fibre-reinforced Silicon Carbide ceramic composite...
, Maserati MC12The Maserati MC12 is a two-seater sports car produced by Italian car maker Maserati to allow a racing variant to compete in the FIA GT Championship. The car entered production in 2004 with 30 cars produced...
and Bugatti VeyronThe Bugatti Veyron EB 16.4 is a mid-engined grand touring car. The Super Sport version is the fastest road-legal production car in the world, with a top speed of . The original version has a top speed of...
.
External links