2015 Mexican Grand Prix - Race

Gutierrez seals 2016 F1 return with Haas

Esteban Gutierrez will return to the Formula One grid in 2016 after signing for the new Haas team. The Mexican will partner Romain Grosjean at the American squad.


Haas unveiled former Sauber racer Gutierrez as their second driver on the Friday of this weekend's Formula 1 Gran Premio de Mexico 2015 - which will be Gutierrez's home event when he lines up for the team next year.

"This is an excellent opportunity that builds on my time with Ferrari and I will make the most of it,” Gutierrez, the current Ferrari reserve driver, said.

"Gene Haas believes in me and I believe in how he's going about competing in Formula One. To have a race seat in a competitive car with Ferrari power is very special, and I appreciate the faith he has in me. I trust we'll be able to achieve great things together.

Commenting on Gutierrez's appointment, Haas said: "I got to know Esteban through our relationship with Ferrari, and after looking at the success he's had to earn his role there, it became clear he was an excellent choice for our race team.

"He's young and hungry, but not inexperienced. His two years running a full F1 schedule has given him some very good race experience, and having spent this season at Ferrari as their third driver allowed him to see firsthand the methodology that makes Ferrari such a power in Formula One.

"We're very happy to have Esteban as a part of our race team. Between him and Romain, we have a strong driver lineup that will help us develop our car and, ultimately, score some points in our inaugural season."

Gutierrez, 24, made his F1 debut with Sauber in 2013, taking a season-best result of seventh in Japan. He stayed at the Swiss team the following year, but failed to score a point as they struggled for form.

His deal with Haas means Marussia are now the only team with likely vacancies for 2016.

(source: f1.com)

2015 Mexican Grand Prix - Qualifying

2015 Mexican Grand Prix - Third practice session

2015 Mexican Grand Prix - Second practice session

Drivers hit record speeds in Mexico

Formula One cars reached their highest top speeds of the season in the very first practice at the Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez, with Lewis Hamilton breaking the 360 km/h (223 mph) barrier on Friday morning in Mexico.





While the redeveloped circuit boasts a main straight more than a kilometre long, it is Mexico City's altitude that has the biggest effect on overall speeds. With the track 2,200 metres above sea level, the air is less dense - which means less drag. And while there is less oxygen in the air for the internal combustion engine to feed off, the turbocharger spins faster to compensate.

The upshot means some of the highest speeds of the season - indeed Hamilton's Mercedes clocked 362.3 km/h, or 225.1 mph, in the opening session. With track conditions set to improve, that figure may well increase further as the weekend progresses and teams hone their set-ups.

By comparison, Ferrari's Kimi Raikkonen clocked 358.3 km/h earlier this year at Monza, which traditionally produces the highest top speeds given the special low-drag configurations teams choose to run at the Italian Grand Prix venue.

(source: f1.com)

2015 Mexican Grand Prix - First practice session