Mexico City Grand Prix awaits Checo Pérez at the party

Liberty Media is not short of proposals to land Formula 1 in another country or venue other than those currently listed for its 2025 season. Mexico will continue to retain its place on the tour thanks to a new agreement that will end in 2028. Authorities and businessmen have sought for a decade to resolve budgetary and facility issues to replicate the box office success of the Mexico City Grand Prix , which not only benefits CIE (Inter-American Entertainment Corporation) but also the economic spillover into the city, which in 2024 boasted a figure of 17.18 billion pesos, representing 13.5% more than in the 2023 edition.

Several countries are actively seeking to host a Grand Prix, including South Africa, Thailand, South Korea, Argentina, Morocco, and Indonesia. In December, Rwandan President Paul Kagame stated that significant progress had been made in the talks. The F1 CEO has never denied a possible return to the African continent, since the last one in South Africa in 1993 at Kyalami.

While that's being resolved, Mexico adds another chapter to its history of stages. The first was between 1962 and 1970, and then from 1986 to 1992, these two periods comprising seven races each.

It returned to the racetrack until 2015, and its funding from public funds ended in 2019.

The current agreement was scheduled to expire in 2025, after the race received two separate three-year extensions following the conclusion of its original five-race contract in 2019. This includes the pandemic-affected 2020 season, which was unable to be run.

Official figures for 2024 show its economic power: 404,958 people attended the race, the weekend created 9,435 jobs, and more than 238,000 tourists traveled to the city (55,000 international), resulting in a 90% hotel occupancy rate.

2025 is already expected to reveal its figures without its star driver, Checo Pérez, who felt like a local driver at the GPs in Miami, Texas, and Las Vegas. An expected revenue figure of 21 billion pesos has already been announced from Mexico.

"Since 2015, it has been recognized as the best Grand Prix in terms of professionalism, safety, enthusiasm, level of organization, and level of enthusiasm from the entire country," Domenicali said.

The race has won awards within the F1 community, with FOM presenting it with the "Best Promoter" award at the FIA ​​awards ceremonies for five consecutive years, between 2015 and 2019.

In 2026, Mexican fans are excited about Cadillac, the circuit's new team and F1's eleventh, which has had interviews with Checo.

The Slim family, who have supported the driver's career, have always confirmed that a top project will be chosen.

"The most important thing is to have a team that can provide a competitive car, and today Red Bull is the best team and the champion for several years. You always look for the best tools to showcase your talent. No, it definitely wouldn't be in his best interest to go elsewhere," Carlos Slim Domit, Chairman of the Board of Directors of Telmex, América Móvil, Grupo Carso, and Grupo Sanborns, told this newspaper before the 2024 race.

If Cadillac signs Pérez, it would be hiring someone with 281 Grand Prix starts, in addition to having raced alongside current three-time world champion Max Verstappen. The Dutchman is the most successful driver in Mexican F1, with five wins between 2017 and 2023.

"We're going to be quite busy talking to a few people; my phone has been busy. What's a little difficult given the situation we find ourselves in as a new team is that the schedule isn't as defined as usual. It's important for us to talk to several potential candidates. Do we see any talented drivers who aren't currently on the grid? Yes, we do," team principal Graeme Lowdown said last March.

According to specialized media, Checo's contract would be for three years and this would coincide comfortably with the celebration in Mexico.