1
F1 is looking to its past as it speeds into the future. With 1992 winner Nigel Mansell interviewing them on the podium, the sport's latest stars including world champion Lewis Hamilton could not believe the spectacle of this weekend's return to Mexico City.
"It's the most incredible thing I've ever seen," said the Mercedes driver after standing on the podium in the massed stadium section, after the country smashed its previous race attendance record with a more-than-capacity 130,000-plus crowd. "In the whole entire time I've been in formula one, I've never seen anything like it," he added.
Niki Lauda, Mercedes team chairman and F1 legend, agreed: "In terms of the organisation and the fans, it's the best race I've ever seen." Nico Rosberg, the winner of Sunday's race, said F1 returning to other hallowed former stomping grounds would be ideal "But I know how much money it takes to set up something like this".
F1 reporter for the BBC, Christian Sylt, said Mexico - whose poverty rate has hit 46 per cent - is paying Ecclestone $25 million a year for the privilege. In recent years, F1 has dramatically expanded into new and developing markets, but the local support in the Far and Middle East has often been lukewarm at best. That could all be about to change.
Bernie Ecclestone revealed in Mexico that he is also back in talks with Argentina, who last hosted a grand prix to a big and passionate crowd in 1998 at a circuit in Buenos Aires that was falling into disrepair. "We're talking to them and it can happen," he said.
Another potential race revival is South Africa, the country that hosted F1 23 times, most recently in 1992. Ecclestone has targeted Africa as it is the only continent not represented on the calendar. "There is a huge following there and it is one of the most important grands prix we need to get on the calendar," Hamilton admitted to the BBC World Service. Lauda concluded in Mexico City: "I think the organisers in South Africa or Argentina need to look at what has been done here." (GMM)
Grand Prix of BelgiumLocal time
Grand Prix of BelgiumLocal time
Bahrain International Circuit - Winter testing
M. Verstappen
V. Bottas
M. Verstappen
417,009 comments on Mercedes
62 members have this team as their favourite
Tweets about Lewis Hamilton
522,785 comments on Mercedes 52 members have this team as their favourite Tweets about Mercedes
Bahrain
United Arab Emirates
Bahrain
Bahrain International Circuit
Bahrain
Bahrain International Circuit
Portugal
Autódromo Internacional do Algarve
Spain
Circuit de Catalunya
Monaco
Monte Carlo
Azerbaijan
Baku City Circuit
France
Paul Ricard
Austria
Red Bull Ring
Austria
Red Bull Ring
United Kingdom
Silverstone
Hungary
Hungaroring
Belgium
Spa-Francorchamps
Netherlands
Circuit Zandvoort
Italy
Monza
Russian
Sochi Autodrom
Japan
Circuit Suzuka
Turkey
Istanbul Park
United States of America
Circuit of the Americas
Mexico
Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez
Brazil
Interlagos
Saudi Arabia
Jeddah Street Circuit
United Arab Emirates
Yas Marina Circuit
United Arab Emirates
Yas Marina Circuit
Replies (1)
Login to replycalle.itw
Posts: 8,527
Good idea to host more races in Argentina, that part of the world has a big sum of fans, and they really should get more than one shot at hosting a grand prix. But I still wish they'd make a GP up here in Scandinavia, would've been nice to split it between us, Norway, Finland and Denmark. There was plans for a street circuit GP here in Sweden, but it never went through.