Puebla Archives

New high-altitude circuit for two Formula E races in Mexico this weekend

This will be a busy weekend in the motorsports world; besides the seventh Formula 1 race of 2021 being run in France, Formula E – the all-electric single-seater series – also returns after a 6-week break from racing. While Envision Virgin Racing’s Robin Frijns leads the Drivers Championship, the Mercedes EQ team is at the top of the chart in team standings, with Jaguar Racing just 2 points behind.

This weekend will have Rounds 8 and 9 of the 2020-2021 ABB FIA Formula E World Championship and both will be held at a new circuit in Mexico. For the previous 5 occasions that Formula E races have been run in Mexico,

New circuit to be used
The ABB FIA Formula E World Championship is being contested in Mexico for the sixth time since the series’ inception, the Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez in the capital city has been used. This time, the Autodromo Miguel E. Abed in Puebla, about 100 kms from Mexico City, will be used for the first time. The reason for this change of circuit is because parts of the Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez are still being used as a hospital for COVID-19 patients during the current pandemic.

After the Circuit Ricardo Tormo in Spain, the 2.982-km Autodromo Miguel E. Abed is the second permanent racetrack to host Formula E races this season. The track has 15 turns taken in a counter-clockwise direction. A large part of the circuit is situated in the infield of an oval normally used by, most noticeably, the Mexican NASCAR series.

Leading back to the main straight, Turn 15 is a banked corner which Formula E will also use. The track will use the infield of the oval circuitwith a banked turn and an extended Attack Mode activation zone. Turn 1 at the end of this section is one of the best spots for overtaking on the whole circuit and Turn 11 at the end of the second sector is another good place.

Attack Mode activation zone
The Attack Mode activation zone is on the outside of Turn 8, so cars will have to deviate from the racing line a little more than usual as a result. The loss in time is expected to be over 2.5 seconds which will be the greatest amount ever seen till date in Formula E history.

“Puebla is pretty different to anything Formula E has done before, using part of a high-speed oval, and I think it will be very interesting. It will be a high-load start to the lap and there are a lot of long corners, which we don’t usually see in this championship,” said Mahindra Racing’s Alexander Sims.

Heat + high altitude
Races in Mexico have usually had a special challenge from the high altitudes and Puebla is situated 2,200 metres above sea level, an even higher altitude than Mexico City. With high temperatures as well, the drivers will be pushed to their limits managing the battery pack and tyre temperatures during the 45 minute + one lap double-header.

“It will be hard on tyre degradation and we’ll be running in high temperatures and in high altitude. I don’t think it will be as stressful on the battery as Santiago, but it’s going to be pretty tough nonetheless,” added Sims’ team mate, Alex Lynn.

VW Beetle production has ended at the global production hub in Mexico

After its multi-generational run as a brand mainstay and global automotive phenomenon, the Volkswagen Beetle line has come to an end. The final unit, finished in Stonewashed Blue, was produced at Volkswagen’s factory in Puebla, Mexico which has been the global hub for the modern model since 1998.

Actually, the ‘end of Beetle production’ at Puebla this week was the second time such an event occurred. 16 years ago, in 2003, the factory said farewell to the original Beetles when production ceased after 39 years. It was the last of some 21.5 million units of the same generation produced since 1938.

One of the top 5 bestsellers of all time
The final Beetle will live on display at Volkswagen’s local museum in Puebla as a lasting tribute to the automobile’s rich and storied heritage. While the original Type 1 model will go down in automobile history as one of the top 5 bestselling cars of all time, the New Beetle, as it was known when it was reborn in 1998, was an early automotive adopter of retro design language. Like the modern MINI, it re-introduced the familiar silhouette to a new generation of drivers. Over 1.2 million units were produced, only at the Puebla factory which supplied to 91 global markets.

The third and final generation was launched in 2011 and over 500,000 units have been built up till the final one this week. In total, the second and third generations have been offered (from the factory) in 23 different exterior colours, 32 interior trims, 13 varying engine configurations and 19 special editions. Individual markets have also had special editions, such as the Collectors Edition by Volkswagen Passenger Cars Malaysia (VPCM) to say farewell to the model.

*75 units of the Collectors Edition of the Beetle are available for the Malaysian market, each one priced at RM164,390 (without insurance), with four colour options to choose from.*

Compact SUV model to replace Beetle at factory
The end of Beetle production will allow the Puebla factory to take on the Tarek, a compact SUV model that will be manufactured from next year. The second largest Volkswagen factory also produces the Jetta, Tiguan and Golf. It has an annual capacity of 420,000 engines and in 2018 produced a total of 435,373 vehicles.