Mexico City WEC round promises new era for sportscars in region
The promoter of the new Mexico City round of the World Endurance Championship, Ricardo Gonzalez, believes the event will raise interest in sportscars in the country to the days of local heroes Ricardo and Pedro Rodriguez.
Gonzalez, who also owns a team and races himself in the LMP2 division of WEC, launched the 6 Hours of Mexico Presented by AT&T alongside series CEO Gerard Neveu and FIA president Jean Todt on Sunday.
The event was attended by over 130 media, as well as drivers Lucas di Grassi, Loic Duval, Sebastien Buemi, Sam Bird, Bruno Senna and Nicolas Prost.
The fifth round of the FIA WEC will take place at the Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez between September 1-3, and will be the first time the series has raced in Central America in its current guise. The last World Sportscar Championship event held there was in 1991.
"The WEC for me means a lot because it has given me great satisfactions through my career,” said Gonzalez. “So be part of this project in my country it is a big challenge but I am confident that Mexico will make its mark in the WEC.
“I'm very happy to work with the WEC and bring the experience and the spirit of Le Mans to Mexico.”
Strong partnership
Mexico’s inclusion brings the number of WEC rounds to nine, and Neveu said its addition was a reflection on the strong work by partners within the championship.
“One of the cornerstones of our championship is the strong partnership we have with our partners, competitors and, indeed, everyone who is part of the WEC including, of course, the media,” said Neveu.
“The WEC offers a unique stage on which to compete, at premier race circuits around the world, plus high visibility in key commercial automotive markets - and this is why the 6 Hours of Mexico Presented by AT&T is so important for all concerned.
“We are proud to be bringing top level endurance racing back to Mexico and we are confident it will be a huge success.”
FIA chief Todt added: “Mexico City is a vibrant place with the population showing great enthusiasm for motorsport - as the FIA has witnessed first-hand recently when it hosted its 2015 FIA Sport Conference there, as well as enjoying the return of the FIA Formula One World Championship last year.
“We look forward to welcoming the 6 Hours of Mexico to our other World Championship events established in Mexico.”
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