Mexican Formula 1 Grand Prix Axed for 2020 in Favor of Dutch Race at Zandvoort: Report
The combination of a pricey hosting fee plus a stingy Mexican government led by a new president is to blame.
The Mexican Formula 1 Grand Prix in Mexico City appears to have been axed from the 2020 racing calendar in favor of the recently confirmed return to Zandvoort for the Dutch Grand Prix.
ESPN Mexico, citing unknown sources close to the matter, reports that the Corporación Interamericana de Entretenimiento (CIE), a government agency tasked with handling sports and entertainment events for the Mexican government, could not agree to the financial terms expressed in the contract issued by Liberty Media. More specifically, the CIE apparently does not have the approval of Mexico's new president Andrés Manuel López Obrador to offer the 800 million pesos necessary to retain the event—even if sources claim that the F1 weekend pours nearly 1.5 billion pesos into the local economy.
This comes as terrible news to the Mexican people and F1 fans around the world alike, as the Mexican Grand Prix was voted the best race on the F1 calendar two years in a row, and had always managed excellent ticket sales. The "F1 Mexican party," as many in the paddock named it, also gained notoriety for being one of the more fun and cool venues for everyone involved.
Although there still isn't an official word from Liberty Media, Mexico is currently one of the venues to have yet confirmed their spot in the 2020 calendar, and the Dutch Grand Prix addition to such earlier today only leads us to believe that this report by ESPN is most likely accurate.
The Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez, where the F1 race is currently held (and has been held intermittently since the '50s) currently hosts Formula E and hosted the Race of Champions in 2018.