F1 returning to Mexico in 2014?
A principle agreement is said to have been reached between Mexican political leaders and Bernie Ecclestone for the return of Formula 1 to Mexico from 2014.
Between 1981 and 2010, Mexico had no representatives in Formula 1. Since 2011, Sergio Pérez has taken over from Héctor Rebaque in the pantheon of Mexican drivers who have participated in the Formula 1 World Championship, thanks in particular to the support of several Mexican companies, notably Telmex, owned by the world’s richest man, Carlos Slim.
The arrival of Pérez has sparked enthusiasm among the Mexican public for Formula 1, and for several months now, a return of Formula 1 to Mexican soil has been considered. According to the site *The F1 Times*, a meeting reportedly took place in Austin between Bernie Ecclestone, the Mexican government, and Carlos Slim Jr, one of the project’s financiers. This meeting is said to have resulted in a preliminary agreement for the return of the Mexican Grand Prix to the 2014 season calendar.
Formula 1 has not returned to Mexico since 1992, with the race held at the Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez, which could host the return of F1 to the Central American country, unless a new circuit is built near the resort town of Cancun.
The return of Formula 1 to Mexico could attract crowds, thanks in particular to the presence of two Mexican drivers on the F1 grids: Sergio Pérez, who will drive alongside Jenson Button at McLaren in 2013, and Esteban Gutiérrez, who will drive alongside Nico Hülkenberg for the Sauber team next season.
Such an event could also allow Mexico to promote its tourist sites – as it is already doing by featuring on the rear wing of the Sauber C31.
