Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez

The Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez Grand Prix circuit (2015–2019, 2021–present) The Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez Formula E circuit (2023–present) The Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez National Circuit with Foro Sol (2015–present)
Location	Mexico City, Mexico
Time zone	UTC−06:00 (UTC−05:00 DST))
Coordinates	19°24′22″N 99°5′33″W / 19.40611°N 99.09250°W / 19.40611; -99.09250
Capacity	110,000
FIA Grade	1 (GP) 3E (Formula E)
Broke ground	1959
Opened	20 November 1959; 65 years ago (1959-11-20)
Former names	Autódromo Magdalena Mixhuca (1959–1979)
Major events	Current: Formula One Mexican Grand Prix (1962–1970, 1986–1992, 2015–2019) Mexico City Grand Prix (2021–present) FIA Formula E Championship Mexico City ePrix (2016–2020, 2022–present) NASCAR Cup Series Viva México 250 (2025) NASCAR Xfinity Series The Chilango 150 (2005–2008, 2025) TCR World Tour (2025) NASCAR Mexico Series (2004–2019, 2022–present) Former: FIA WEC 6 Hours of Mexico (1989–1991, 2016–2017) Race of Champions (2019) Trans-Am Series (1978–1979, 1991) CART/Champ Car World Series Gran Premio Tecate (1980–1981, 2002–2007) Grand Am Rolex Sports Car Series Mexico City 400k (2005–2008) A1 Grand Prix (2007–2008) IMSA GT Championship (1974) USRRC (1968)
Grand Prix Circuit (2015–present)
Length	4.304 km (2.674 mi)
Turns	17
Race lap record	1:17.774 ( Valtteri Bottas, Mercedes W12, 2021, F1)
Formula E Circuit (2023–present)
Length	2.628 km (1.633 mi)
Turns	19
Race lap record	1:12.547 ( Sébastien Buemi, Jaguar I-Type 7, 2025, F-E)
Oval Circuit (1962–present)
Surface	Asphalt
Length	1.609 km (1.000 mi)
Turns	4
Race lap record	0:32.081 ( Antonio Pérez, Toyota Camry NASCAR, 2015, Stock car racing)
Formula E Circuit (2020–2022)
Length	2.606 km (1.619 mi)
Turns	16
Race lap record	1:09.487 ( Lucas di Grassi, Mercedes-EQ Silver Arrow 02, 2022, F-E)
Formula E Circuit (2017–2019)
Length	2.093 km (1.300 mi)
Turns	17
Race lap record	1:01.112 ( Pascal Wehrlein, Mahindra M5Electro, 2019, F-E)
Original Formula E Circuit (2016)
Length	2.091 km (1.299 mi)
Turns	18
Race lap record	1:04.569 ( Nico Prost, Renault Z.E 15, 2016, F-E)
Grand Prix Circuit (1986–2014)
Surface	Asphalt
Length	4.421 km (2.747 mi)
Turns	14
Race lap record	1:16.788 ( Nigel Mansell, Williams FW14, 1991, F1)
NASCAR Circuit (2007–2014)
Surface	Asphalt
Length	4.053 km (2.518 mi)
Turns	16
Race lap record	1:20.521 ( Alex Gurney, Riley Mk XX, 2008, DP)
Champ Car Grand Prix Circuit (2006–2007)
Surface	Asphalt
Length	4.463 km (2.774 mi)
Turns	17
Race lap record	1:24.713 ( Robert Doornbos, Panoz DP01, 2007, Champ Car)
Website	https://ahr.mx/

The Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez is a famous race track in Mexico City, Mexico. It's about 4.3 kilometers (2.67 miles) long. The track is named after two brave Mexican racing brothers, Ricardo Rodríguez and Pedro Rodríguez.

Ricardo sadly passed away in 1962 during practice for a race at this very track. His brother Pedro also died in a racing accident nine years later. The circuit was renamed in their honor in 1979.

Since 2015, the track has been a host for the exciting Formula One Mexican Grand Prix. This big event was also held here in earlier years, from 1962 to 1970 and again from 1986 to 1992. Since 2021, the race is known as the "Mexico City Grand Prix."

The race track is located inside a public park called Magdalena Mixhuca Sports City. The city government owns the track, but a company called OCESA manages it. This company also organizes NASCAR Mexico Series races and rents the track for other events.

The NASCAR Xfinity Series raced here from 2005 to 2008. Famous drivers like Martin Truex Jr., Denny Hamlin, Juan Pablo Montoya, and Kyle Busch all won races at this track. The A1 Grand Prix series also held races here in 2007 and 2008.

History of the Race Track

Aerial view of the circuit in November 1962.

The Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez was built in 1959. It first hosted a Formula One race in 1962, which was a special non-championship event. The very next year, the Mexican Grand Prix became an official World Championship race.

Formula One races continued at the track until 1970. At that time, too many spectators caused safety problems. When F1 returned in 1986, the track had new buildings for the teams and much better safety features. However, F1 left again after 1992 because of ongoing safety worries.

In 2001, the track got a big makeover. A new design included a baseball stadium area, and the whole circuit was improved. In 2002, a record-breaking 402,413 people came to watch a CART Championship race here!

After many years, it was announced in 2014 that the Mexican Grand Prix would return to the Formula One calendar in 2015. This brought F1 back to the track on November 1, 2015.

Besides racing, the track is also home to the Electric Daisy Carnival (EDC Mexico), a huge music festival that attracts over 200,000 people.

The Grand Prix Circuit Layout

A satellite view of the circuit in 2018.

Grand-Am Rolex Series cars using a bypass section of the track.

The circuit is located very high up, at about 2,238 meters (7,342 feet) above sea level. This thin air makes it harder for both the drivers and their cars. However, it also means cars experience less air resistance, so they can use special setups to go faster.

The track has a very fast last corner called the Peraltada (turn 17). This corner leads onto a long straight section where cars reach incredible speeds. The Peraltada is slightly banked, which allows cars to go through it even faster. Sadly, it was at this corner that Ricardo Rodríguez had his fatal crash.

After the last F1 race in 1992, a baseball stadium called the "Foro Sol" was built inside this corner. When other race series, like Champ Car, started using the track in 2002, they had to change the Peraltada. Drivers would take a series of sharp turns through the Foro Sol before rejoining the Peraltada halfway through.

The long front straight is about 1.2 kilometers (0.75 miles) long. In the past, Formula One cars could reach speeds of over 330 kilometers per hour (205 mph) here. Modern Formula One cars, with their powerful engines, have reached speeds over 370 kilometers per hour (230 mph) on this straight! The fastest speed recorded in a 2024 F1 car was 362.5 km/h (225.2 mph).

For the return of Formula One in 2015, the Grand Prix circuit was updated by Hermann Tilke. The front straight was made a bit longer, and new buildings were added. Some of the fast, flowing turns were changed into sharper corners. The part of the track that went through the baseball field was also changed. Now, cars take a slow left-right section that bypasses the first half of the Peraltada before rejoining it.

How the Track Has Changed

The Oval Track

The Autódromo also has an oval track layout. This oval is usually raced in a counter-clockwise direction. However, for the FIA Formula E Championship races, the oval is used in a clockwise direction with some added turns.

The oval track is considered quite challenging because of limited visibility in some corners. This is due to the Estadio GNP Seguros (baseball stadium) and trees located inside the turns.

The oval track is used a few times a year for races like the NASCAR Toyota Series and the NASCAR Mexico T4 Series.

Turns Named After Racing Heroes

Some of the turns at the Autódromo are named after famous racing drivers:

• In 1986, the first turn was named Ese Moisés Solana after Moisés Solana, a Mexican F1 driver.
• In 2002, turn 6 was renamed Recorte Rebaque to honor Héctor Rebaque, another Mexican F1 and CART driver.
• In 2015, turn 17, the famous Peraltada, was named after Nigel Mansell. He won the Mexican Grand Prix twice and made a very famous pass there in 1990.
• In 2016, turn 12 was named in honor of Adrián Fernández for his racing achievements.

Major Events Held Here

The Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez hosts many exciting races and events:

Current Events

• January: FIA Formula E Championship Mexico City ePrix
• June: NASCAR Cup Series Viva México 250, NASCAR Xfinity Series The Chilango 150, NASCAR Mexico Series
• October: Formula One Mexico City Grand Prix

Past Events

• A1 Grand Prix (2007–2008)
• CART/Champ Car World Series (2002–2007)
• FIA World Endurance Championship (2016–2017)
• Race of Champions (2019)

The Baseball Stadium

A baseball stadium is located inside turn 14 (the Peraltada) of the race track. This stadium, known as Estadio GNP Seguros since 2024 (and formerly as Foro Sol), used to be home to the Diablos Rojos del México baseball team. It's also a popular place for big music concerts. Many famous artists like Iron Maiden, Paul McCartney, Metallica, Pink Floyd, The Rolling Stones, Madonna, and Taylor Swift have performed there.

The Diablos Rojos baseball team later moved to a new stadium, Estadio Alfredo Harp Helú, which was built inside the race track near turns 1 and 3 in 2019.

See also

In Spanish: Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez para niños