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Haas driver Nikita Mazepin is looking forward to his maiden Mexico GP weekend at the Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez circuit. Speaking in the team previews, the Russian driver admitted to feeling ‘curious’ to race at the high-altitude track.
The rookie Haas driver, who will be driving for the first time in low air density, feels the new track will pose its own challenges like any other. The Russian driver looks forward to the vibrant fan atmosphere and unique track conditions at the Mexico GP.
Mazepin looks forward to his maiden Mexico GP race
Speaking ahead of the Mexico GP weekend, Mazepin said,
“First of all, less oxygen means it’s difficult to drive and perform at a high heart rate for drivers, so physically it’s going to be a challenge but not only that, the air is less thick so there will be less downforce on the car.”
Describing the feeling of driving his maiden Mexico GP, he said,
“Unfortunately, we don’t have too much downforce to spare, but we’ll do our best and I’m very curious to race on a new track and see how it feels.”
Understanding the challenges of the high-altitude conditions, Mazepin said,
“It’s difficult to say. There are loads of factors that are part of getting comfortable on a new track. Normally, I’m not hating the low downforce tracks such as Monza and Baku, I felt quite comfortable, but there are a lot more challenges in Mexico.”
Looking forward to the Mexico GP weekend, he added,
“As I’ve never been there, I’m looking forward to the challenge and am open-minded to what the weekend might bring.”
Being a non-local driver, Mazepin downplayed the pressure at the weekend saying,
“As I’m not from there, it doesn’t really bring me pressure but it’s nice to see people enjoy the event that you’re taking part in.”
The Russian driver celebrated the return of fans at the races and felt the experiences were better than watching a race on TV. Describing a recent visit to Mexico, Mazepin said,
“The locals are very welcoming – I was there two weeks ago. So I got to feel a bit of the atmosphere and passion of the people, how much they like Formula 1, so I’m looking forward to getting out there on full speed.”
Overall the Russian Haas driver looked forward to the Mexico GP weekend, relinquishing its experience, and driving through the vibrant atmosphere surrounded by full grandstands.
