We've all heard the rumours. Bernie Ecclestone's torn up the New Jersey contract, and it might not just be part of his usual negotiating tactics.
While I'm still in the camp that thinks the NJ race will happen - as long as they starting paying Bernie on time - rumour has it that Mexico City is primed to fill the vacant slot on the calendar should the second US Grand Prix fall by the wayside.
A Mexican race makes a lot of sense, what with the Telmex money floating around the paddock, Sergio Perez asserting himself as the rising star in F1, and Esteban Gutierrez one to watch in the feeder series.
When I interviewed Carlos Slim Jr in May, for a feature on the Mexican revolution in Formula One, he was open about the ongoing efforts to bring F1 back to Mexico.
"I think Mexico is in a very good place to be potentially working on bringing a grand prix," he said. "There are some very strong promoters working on that, and I believe there are some very strong reasons to make it happen. One of the most important is that we have a Mexican driver, we have somebody the people can get behind and follow. That is already there – Sergio is having a very good season, and we hope to see Esteban in F1 soon.
"There is work being done on the track, discussions with local and federal government, and a formal presentation [for FOM] is being put together by the organisers. The promoters are working hard, and I believe that someday soon we will have a race in Mexico. More races in the Americas is not just good for the global fan community – it is good for Formula One. It’s the way to keep consolidating a global sport, and I think that’s important for Formula One."
Outside the paddock, Mexico is a country on the rise. While there are still serious problems with drug and gang related violence in parts of the country, the Mexican economy is growing at an impressive rate. Based on current projections, this year the Mexican economy is expected to see 4 percent growth, double that of South American powerhouse Brazil.
Mexico is attracting a lot of foreign investment at the moment, while Brazil is heavily reliant on materials export to China, a country that is itself undergoing financial belt-tightening.
Rumours of a Mexican Grand Prix in 2014 may prove to be just that, but make no mistake - a Mexico City race is on the horizon, even if current gossip sees the date out by a year or two.
While I'm still in the camp that thinks the NJ race will happen - as long as they starting paying Bernie on time - rumour has it that Mexico City is primed to fill the vacant slot on the calendar should the second US Grand Prix fall by the wayside.
A Mexican race makes a lot of sense, what with the Telmex money floating around the paddock, Sergio Perez asserting himself as the rising star in F1, and Esteban Gutierrez one to watch in the feeder series.
When I interviewed Carlos Slim Jr in May, for a feature on the Mexican revolution in Formula One, he was open about the ongoing efforts to bring F1 back to Mexico.
"I think Mexico is in a very good place to be potentially working on bringing a grand prix," he said. "There are some very strong promoters working on that, and I believe there are some very strong reasons to make it happen. One of the most important is that we have a Mexican driver, we have somebody the people can get behind and follow. That is already there – Sergio is having a very good season, and we hope to see Esteban in F1 soon.
"There is work being done on the track, discussions with local and federal government, and a formal presentation [for FOM] is being put together by the organisers. The promoters are working hard, and I believe that someday soon we will have a race in Mexico. More races in the Americas is not just good for the global fan community – it is good for Formula One. It’s the way to keep consolidating a global sport, and I think that’s important for Formula One."
Outside the paddock, Mexico is a country on the rise. While there are still serious problems with drug and gang related violence in parts of the country, the Mexican economy is growing at an impressive rate. Based on current projections, this year the Mexican economy is expected to see 4 percent growth, double that of South American powerhouse Brazil.
Mexico is attracting a lot of foreign investment at the moment, while Brazil is heavily reliant on materials export to China, a country that is itself undergoing financial belt-tightening.
Rumours of a Mexican Grand Prix in 2014 may prove to be just that, but make no mistake - a Mexico City race is on the horizon, even if current gossip sees the date out by a year or two.
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