Official: Return of the Mexican Grand Prix in 2015
Formula 1 will make a stop in Mexico in 2015 as part of the Mexican Grand Prix, returning to the calendar after 23 years of absence.
The official Formula 1 website has confirmed the news everyone was waiting for: the Mexican Grand Prix will make its big return to the premier discipline’s calendar in 2015 and for five seasons.
23 years after the last edition, won by Nigel Mansell in 1992, F1 cars will once again hit the asphalt of the Autodrome Hermanos Rodriguez. The information was confirmed by Bernie Ecclestone, the president of the Formula One Group: « I am pleased to announce that we have reached an agreement to have a race in 2015. Don’t miss this race! »
The event will take place on the 4.421 km Mexico circuit. This track has already hosted F1 from 1963 to 1970 and then from 1986 to 1992.
Tavo Hellmund, who helped set up the United States Grand Prix in Austin and is now one of the co-founders of the future Mexican Grand Prix, expressed his satisfaction: Since Bernie and I started working on a race in Austin, my dream has been to help Formula 1 return to Mexico. So this announcement took a few years to be made, but we were gradually able to put all the pieces together correctly. I am absolutely delighted.
The statement specifies that the return of Mexico to the F1 calendar remains subject to final negotiations. Thus, the date considered for organizing the event has not been specified. The need to carry out or complete certain works on the track, paddock, and facilities could influence this date.
An official statement published on the website of the Presidency of Mexico welcomes the return of the circus of the queen discipline and highlights the economic and tourist aspects of this partnership: « That Mexico was chosen to host Formula 1, 23 years later, is a sign of recognition of the great moment our country is experiencing and constitutes a unique platform for promotion at an international level. Mexico enters the race of the most attractive global destinations. »
« In addition to this, the estimated profit related to this event will be about 2 billion Mexican pesos [nearly 1.5 billion euros, ed. note]. This step represents a public-private investment effort by the Ministry of Tourism […], the CIE Group [event promoter] and the significant collaboration of the Mexico City government. »
Mexico is ready to welcome more than 180,000 people during the event, as well as the millions of visitors expected over the next five years. Details of the “Mexican Grand Prix” will be made public regularly over the next 16 months, adds the official statement from the presidency.
