Compound error: Mercedes’ tyre predictions led its strategy astray in Mexico
The effects of the high-altitude location of Mexico’s Hermanos Rodriguez track are many and varied – and not always predictable. That extends even to its impact upon race strategy. The temperature is greatly influenced by atmospheric thickness. Because there is less air above the ground surface at higher altitudes, there is less atmospheric absorption of solar energy. This absorption of sunlight is a contributing mechanism to track temperature anywhere, but less so here. So at high altitudes the effect of the sunlight on surface temperatures is much more direct than in lower-altitude places. The track temperature tends to soar much more quickly with relatively modest sunlight and will drop much more suddenly when the sunlight fades. That played a major part in the uncertainty around what was going to be the best strategy.