Mexico has become the fastest circuit on the calendar after Lewis Hamilton clocked a top-speed of 362.3km/h (225mph) during the opening practice session for the Mexican Grand Prix.
Previously Monza held the record with Force India’s Sergio Perez clocking 354.6km/h (220mph) during qualifying earlier this year.
The Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez features a long pit straight – one of the longest on the calendar – but the main reason for the higher top speed is due to the altitude.
At 2,200m above sea level, the air is thinner, therefore there is less air resistance to contend with, whilst the teams can also ramp up the speed of their turbos to ensure the engine delivers peak performance to counteract the loss of power as a result of the thinner oxygen.
Hamilton was quickest through the speed-trap, closely followed by team-mate Nico Rosberg. Mercedes powered cars dominated the top six positions, with Ferrari’s Kimi Raikkonen seventh, 12km/h down.
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