Carlos and Alex preview Round 19 in Mexico City
Looking to make the most of opportunities at the Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez
Published
29 OCT 2026
Est. reading time
2 min
Formula 1 heads to Mexico City for Round 19 of the 2026 season, with the Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez offering a unique challenge thanks to its high altitude, reduced air density and iconic stadium section.
The conditions make finding the right balance particularly important, with the cars feeling different despite running maximum downforce. Atlassian Williams F1 Team will be looking to make the most of practice to understand the characteristics of the circuit and put itself in the best position to fight for points.
Carlos Sainz is excited to return to Mexico, where the atmosphere in the stadium section creates one of the most distinctive experiences on the calendar. With the new generation of cars tackling the circuit for the first time, maximising practice time will be key.
“Mexico is a special race in the calendar, and the passion of the fans here is incredible. Driving through the stadium section and feeling the atmosphere from the crowds is unlike anywhere else, and it's always great to connect with Spanish speaking fans on this side of the world. Aside from the stadium section, the altitude also makes it unique and changes how the air interacts with the car, so coming here for the first time with this new generation of cars, we'll need to maximise practice to understand it and find the right balance. This is a track that should suit us a bit better than Austin, so we'll hope to be in the mix in the midfield and make the most of the opportunities that come our way.”
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Alex Albon is also looking forward to heading back to Mexico, where the passionate fans and distinctive stadium section always make for a memorable weekend. With Luke Browning taking over his car for FP1, Alex will have limited time to prepare ahead of qualifying.
“I love coming to Mexico and the fans are incredible here. It's a unique challenge, the stadium section is something you don’t get anywhere else, and the air is so thin that even with maximum downforce the car feels like it’s running low downforce, so you slide around a lot and grip is hard to find. Luke will be in my car for FP1, which is great experience for him, but we'll need to get up to speed quickly in FP2 to put ourselves in the best position possible ahead of the weekend."
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