June 2022. Although I have been in Mexico before, the last time was in 1994-1995. Twenty-seven years later, Oriol and I are doing a classic tour of the United Mexican States, featuring Mexico City (CDMX); Palenque in Chiapas; Villahermosa in Tabasco; Uxmal, Mérida, Chichen Itza, Ek’ Balam, Valladolid,  and a few cenotes (waterholes) in Yucatán and Tulum in Quintana Roo. We returned via Cancún to CDMX and Amsterdam Airport Schiphol.

I couldn’t resist. Being in Mexico City, I wanted to visit the Formula 1 Grand Prix circuit. At least if it was (partially) open for the public. 

The Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez is a 4.304 km (2.674 mi) motorsport race track named after the racing drivers Ricardo and Pedro Rodríguez. The circuit got its name shortly after it opened when Ricardo Rodríguez died in practice for the non-Championship 1962 Mexican Grand Prix. Ricardo’s brother Pedro was also killed behind the wheel nine years later. Since 2015, the track has once again hosted the Formula One Mexican Grand Prix, an event it previously hosted in two separate periods on a different layout, the last occasion of which was in 1992. 

Nowadays it’s called Mexico City Grand Prix or Gran Premio de la Ciudad de México as it’s CDMX who pays the bills. 

A visit

Yes, you can visit the pista. The official website urgently needs a makeover, but under the tab ‘Calendario‘ you find when which part of the circuit is open. You can ride your bike, walk, run or inline skate. We saw a motorcycle as well. 

That’s great. Oriol and I did an almost complete track walk. Only the Foro Sol part of the circuit was closed off. So we walked the classic Peraltada corner. 

I was a very happy camper being able to walk the track. More circuits should make this possible whenever nothing else is scheduled.

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Other circuits I visited

• Zandvoort, home of the Formula 1 Dutch Grand Prix.
• Valencia Street Circuit, Spain.
• Albert Park, Melbourne, Australia (1).
• Albert Park, Melbourne, Australia (2).
• Yas Marina, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates.
• Monte-Carlo, Monaco.
• Singapore.
• Le Mans, France.
• Norisring, Nuremberg, Germany.
• Vietnam.

Mexico 2022

1. REVIEW | KLM Amsterdam Schiphol to Mexico City on a Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner in economy.
2. MEXICO CITY | Zócalo.
3. MEXICO CITY | Templo Mayor.
4. REVIEW | Hotel Carlota in Mexico City.
5. MEXICO | Teotihuacan.
6. MEXICO CITY | National Museum of Anthropology or Museo Nacional de Antropología.