Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez

Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez (The Rodríguez Brothers Circuit) is a racing circuit in Mexico, which is located in Mexico City. The circuit is 4.421 km long and has hosted Formula 1 Mexican Grand Prix races from 1963–1970, 1986–1992, and 2015–present.

Apart from hosting F1, this circuit is also used to host A1GP, Champ Car, IndyCar, and NASCAR races. It is also the only circuit that Pope John Paul II has visited in 1999.

History
Built in the Magdalena Mixhuca public park in 1959, the circuit hosted its first Formula One Grand Prix in 1962, as a non-Championship race. The following year the Mexican Grand Prix became a full World Championship event. The circuit remained part of the F1 calendar through 1970, when spectator overcrowding caused unsafe conditions. When F1 returned in 1986, the circuit boasted a new pit complex, as well as improved safety all around. In 2001 CIE and Forsythe Racing tasked D3 Motorsport Development with revamping the circuit. A redesign to include the Foro and a complete upgrade of the circuit was done. It saw a record crowd of 402,413 people attend a round of the CART Championship in 2002. As of 2019, the Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez has been the only venue for the F1 Mexican Grand Prix.

It was announced in May 2012, that the circuit would again host the Mexican Grand Prix from 2013, in a five-year deal that would see it replace the European Grand Prix in Valencia, but this did not happen. The FIA listed the Mexican Grand Prix as the 19th round of the provisional schedule for the 2014 season, but it was not on the finalized schedule. The Mexican Grand Prix was listed on the 2015 Formula One calendar published by the FIA on 3 December 2014, with Formula One making its return to the circuit with the race on 1 November 2015.

The racetrack is also home to Insomnniacs Electric Daisy Carnival (EDC Mexico), a music festival attended by over 200,000 people.

Oval track


The circuit also features an oval layout due to the inclusion of a flat turn that goes from the middle of the main straight to the beginning of the back stretch of circuit. Unlike the road course, the oval is raced in counter-clockwise direction (except for the Formula E race).

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 accidents occurred in the oval track during NASCAR Mexico T4 Series events, which took several drivers out of the race, with some needing hospital treatment.

The oval configuration is used at least twice a year, with two double-feature events featuring the NASCAR Toyota Series and the NASCAR Mexico T4 Series.

The oval configuration also forms the base of the FIA Formula E Championship circuit for the Mexico City ePrix; the oval is raced clockwise, but there is a chicane prior to the entrance of turn 4, with a second chicane on the backstretch, followed by a modified Foro Sol section that exits for the full Peraltada, and a third chicane midway through the Peraltada (turns 1 and 2 of the oval). FIA Formula E track design was modified by Agustin Delicado Zomeño. Starting from season 3 (2016–2017), the first chicane is removed and now it is a right hand corner.

In season 6, the track is extended and the two chicanes at the back straight and the Peraltada are removed. The track also use more of the Formula 1 layout. After turn 2 (Formula E track), the track will turn left instead of right and the extended part includes a 4-turn sequence before going back to the original circuit and the stadium section.

Renamed turns
Before the 1986 Formula One race, the first turn (now turns 1-3) was named in honor of Moisés Solana, Mexico's third F1 driver. It is still called Ese Moisés Solana often called Solana Complex in English.

On September 2002, Mexico's fourth and, then, last F1 driver Héctor Alonso Rebaque a.k.a. Héctor Rebaque's achievements both in F1 and CART were recognised by naming turn 6 of the Autodromo in his honour and calling it Recorte Rebaque instead of the previous name of Recorte de Gran Premio.

In 2015 the turn 17 of the Autodromo Hermanos Rodríguez was baptized in honour of Formula One legend Nigel Mansell, twice winner of the Mexican Grand Prix of 1987 and 1992.

On September 20, 2016 Adrián Fernández's achievements have been recognised by the naming of turn 12 of the Autodromo in his honour.

Series hosted
The track hosts the FIA Formula One World Championship (Mexican Grand Prix) and the FIA Formula E World Championship (Mexico City ePrix). It also hosts the Copa Turismo México and Moto Pro México series.

The baseball stadium
The Autódromo includes a baseball stadium inside turn 14 (Peraltada). The stadium, called Foro Sol, was home to the Diablos Rojos del México and also hosts music concerts. Some of the artists who played there include Iron Maiden, Paul McCartney, Metallica, Pink Floyd, Santana, The Rolling Stones, Madonna, Stone Temple Pilots, Nine Inch Nails, U2, and Radiohead.