At 2,286 metres above sea level, the Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez is by far the highest-altitude venue on the Formula 1 calendar. This naturally means thinner air, which presents a unique challenge at the Mexican Grand Prix for teams and manufacturers in two ways.
Firstly, the lower air density means that the power unit, and particularly the turbo, is put under considerable strain in Mexico. At altitude, there are fewer oxygen molecules per cubic metre, meaning the turbo has to work harder to get the same amount of oxygen into the engine as it would at sea level. The turbo has to spin considerably faster to achieve the required boost pressure and airflow, which presents a challenge not only in terms of outright performance but also reliability.
In 2026, this challenge has become considerably greater because the MGU-H has been removed and can no longer assist in counteracting turbo lag. Honda's chief engineer Shintaro Orihara said the removal makes turbo lag the most important topic at this track for all manufacturers.
It will be particularly interesting to see how Honda performs at altitude, given that the Japanese manufacturer also struggled considerably with turbo lag in Singapore.
Source: Autosport F1 News · Summarized by HeadlinesBriefing