I was fascinated to see, when I tuned into today’s A1 Grand Prix of Mexico, that the series is using the mighty Peraltada corner without any kind of chicane to slow the cars on the entry.
I can’t remember a major single seater series doing this since F1 last raced there in 1992. The Champ Car World Series had a tight chicane just before the corner when they raced there last year, and prior to that had missed out the entrance to the corner and instead driven through the baseball field on the inside of it!
There were no major incidents on the corner during qualifying – let’s hope the A1 Grand Prix drivers have a safe race on the challenging, dangerous bend tomorrow.
Roger Yu
1st April 2009, 5:20
I was at Peraltada in 1986… Berger’s win in the Benetton 185 (with the green and multi-colored comet paint job). We were seated atop the building at the outside of of the turn all weekend.
The only guy to skitter off there, as I remember, was an uninjured Huub Rothengatter, piloting the unfortunate Zakspeed. I wonder how many SAFE passes this corner has seen since it’s tragic legacy? Any more than “normal”?
May the A1 guys enjoy this classic corner before the exhilaration of another divvy of life is neutered by experts.
Keith Collantine
1st April 2009, 8:50
Roger – it’s already too late I’m afraid: A1GP adds Mexican round but Peraltada gets chopped