FACTS AND STATS: The Mexico City season opener in numbers

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FACTS AND STATS: The Mexico City season opener in numbers

The season opener is finally here, with Round 1 of Season 9; the 2023 Hankook Mexico City E-Prix set to fire Gen3 into life, on our seventh visit to Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez. Here's what's to come, in facts and stats.

Wehrlein wins in Mexico City Season 8

● Mexico has been a mainstay on the Formula E calendar since its initial appearance. With the first race taking place in Season 2, Mexico City has been on the calendar every season since apart from Season 7 (with Puebla filling the gap). Only Germany (16) and USA (13) have hosted more races than Mexico (8).

● Mexico City is the oldest capital in the Americas, having been founded in the 14 century. It lies in the Valley of Mexico, some 2,240m above sea level - for comparison the French ski village of Val d'Isere sit at 1,850m.

● It is the largest city in North America, and is home to nine million people. Greater Mexico City has more than 21 million residents.

● The 2023 Hankook Mexico City E-Prix will be run on a new track layout with a chicane being added after Turn 8, down the back straight, making the circuit the longest Formula E configuration around the Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez at 2.630km.

READ MORE: The full Season 9 preview!

● The 19-turn layout will be the fourth different configuration across the seven Mexico City E-Prix.

● The circuit is named after Formula 1 and sportscar drivers Ricardo and Pedro Rodriguez.

● After eight years of the Formula E season commencing in Asia, Formula E will start its Gen3 journey in North America, with Mexico City being the fourth city to have hosted the opener (after Beijing, Hong Kong and Diriyah).

● This will be the 101st Formula E race, with the centenary race taking place in Seoul, rounding out the Gen2 era last and Season 8.

Foro Sol Mexico City Season 8

● The opening race isn’t always a clear indicator of who will clinch the championship in Formula E. In only two seasons has the Drivers' champion won the opening race (Sebastien Buemi in Season 2 and Nyck de Vries in Season 7, on the way to the Dutchman becoming Formula E's first World Champion).

● Lucas di Grassi won the Season 3 encounter in Mexico City from 15th on the grid, the lowest position any driver has won an E-Prix from. The Brazilian has the most wins in the country, with three of eight races total.

● Of the six previous races in Mexico City, Sebastien Buemi has stood on the podium three times, which is more than any other driver.

READ MORE: The full 2022/23 grid, team-by-team

● Antonio Felix da Costa will mark his first Formula E race with his new team, TAG Heuer Porsche. The Portuguese will be hoping he starts the Gen3 era in the same way he started Gen2, which is with a win. He is among the most popular drivers among the passionate Mexican support.

● Sebastien Buemi, Sam Bird and Lucas di Grassi are the only drivers to have raced in every season opening race (each having claimed at least one win at a season opener).

● The last visit to Mexico City saw Pascal Wehrlein claim his maiden Formula E victory, with the German leading home Andre Lotterer for a Porsche 1-2 - also the marque's first victory in the series. Seven drivers come into Mexico City in search of their first Formula E win.

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● NIO 333 will start Season 9 with the youngest driver pairing (with an average age of just 24 years and 45 days). Mahindra Racing will start the season with the oldest driver pairing (with an average age of 34 years 156 days).

● The last three Julius Baer Pole Positions in Mexico City have been claimed by German drivers. However, pole position isn’t always the spot to be in Mexico City, with three of the six pole sitters having failed to make it to the chequered flag.

● Starting last in Mexico City isn’t always the end to a driver’s weekend. In three of the last four Mexico City E-Prix, the driver starting in last has picked up points (with a ninth-place finish in each instance).

● Stoffel Vandoorne will look to become just the second driver, after Jean-Eric Vergne, to successfully defend his Formula E title.

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● The Belgian secured a record for most podiums in a season in his title-winning 2021/22 campaign, finishing in the top three on eight occasions.

● With Oliver Turvey moving on from NIO 333 at the end of last season, Andre Lotterer - now of the Porsche-powered Avalanche Andretti - becomes the current driver with the most starts having yet to win (67).

● After Edo Mortara's pole in Berlin last season, Maximilian Guenther is not the driver with the most races under his belt yet to sit on Julius Baer Pole Position (52)

WATCH: How to watch every minute of Season 9 where you are

● Stoffel Vandoorne and Robin Frijns were the only two drivers to finish every race last season

● Frijns, in fact, has finished every race of the last two campaigns - his last retirement coming in the Season 6 finale in Berlin

● Only Jaguar field an unchanged driver line-up in Season 9, with Sam Bird and Mitch Evans returning

● A driver led lights-to-flag at just one E-Prix last season (Jake Dennis, at the London E-Prix)