> ## Content Index > Fetch the complete content index at: https://www.the-race.com/llms.txt > Use this file to discover other available public pages before exploring further. # What is different about a modern F1 classic - URL: https://www.the-race.com/formula-1/what-is-different-about-a-modern-f1-classic/ - Published: 2026-10-28T13:17:19.000Z - Updated: 2026-10-28T13:17:19.000Z - Description: Culture, gastronomy, museums and more - the Mexican GP organiser tells The Race why thinking local is at the heart of its F1 race - Author: Jon Noble - Tags: Formula 1, Business, #mexican-grand-prix, #secondary_feature_1 With another bumper 400,000-plus sell-out crowd expected at the Mexican Grand Prix this weekend, and an economic impact benefit on Mexico city assessed at $1 billion each year, you could easily forgive the race organiser for feeling content about the Formula 1 race's big-picture success. But instead, the obsession of its race promoter, Federico Gonzalez, is on making the small details better. That means spurning suggestions to have a world-famous act sing the national anthem before the race, and instead choosing locals. It means embracing and showcasing to the world all that is great about Mexico. It means not overlooking the basics for fans; like ensuring free water, or that the beers are cold and the coffees are hot. "Small changes become a big experience," Gonzalez tells The Race Business in an exclusive interview. "Everybody always tells me, 'OK, what are you doing differently?' The answer is, it's a bunch of little things. We are not going to turn everything upside down - we are not going to run the track counterclockwise. "We have the big act after the podium ceremony, but is the race the opening act for the singer, or is the singer the closing act for the race? I have trouble answering that question... "So it's doing a tonne of small things that create the whole experience. "Here's an example. We have aluminium cups for beer and we put the CO₂ in first, so it is cold for the customer when they are served it. It’s a small thing but it makes a difference. Having a dry bathroom, it makes a difference. "What can we do better? Small things. Small things. Small things." A big theme at this year's grand prix will be celebrating Dia de los Muertos - Day of the Dead - but thinking local also means giving back to the community. One of the race's sustainability strategies is contributing to the restoration of the chinampas of Xochimilco, traditional agricultural plots built on small artificial islands and canals that form one of Mexico City's most important biocultural heritage sites. "We are very focused on being as local as we can, because that is something distinctive we have as a race," adds Gonzalez. True to Gonzalez's word about everything being home grown, forget an international star singing the national anthem before the race starts. Instead, it will be performed by the Coral Ensamble Mexico AC, an independent non-profit choral organisation. "It's part of our advantage, the culture and the city that we have around us," he says. "So we're going to focus every year on different things to make it more local. "Everybody gets the benefit from that. We have Mexican wine in the hospitality areas - because that means an economic benefit to everyone. It's part of our responsibility." ## An evolving audience With the Mexican GP now well-established again on the calendar, heading to its 11th edition since returning in 2015, the event has had to evolve to embrace the changing demographic of the F1 audience. Where originally the attendance was made up of die-hard male F1 fans, with Sergio Perez the main attraction, the Liberty Media era and boom triggered by Drive to Survive means the audience is different now. Gonzalez adds: "The audience has changed a lot since 2015\. Back then it was 90/10 male/female. It was hardcore fans who understood everything about F1. "Now, after 10 years, there is a more female, younger generation and people who are new in understanding the races. So between Checo and the Drive to Survive impact, there is a lot of interest." ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/dd/af/ddafbd99-2ccd-468c-b622-4b3cccf80b49/content/images/2026/10/XPB_1181274_HiRes.jpg) The long-term sustainability of the fanbase was proved last year when, even without local hero Perez on the grid, the race still sold out. Gonzalez adds: "That's the evolution of the audience. We love Checo, and we are so happy to have him back. "But I think the audience has evolved and is more knowledgeable about the race." Gonzalez believes though that if the Mexico GP is to have a long-term future then it needs to ensure that the fans are brought along with it. It’s one of the reasons why it has added Formula 2 support races in 2027. "It is about seeing that path to F1 - with Mexicans driving in Mexico City," he said. "They will have a better contact with the drivers and it will create a better understanding about those who are going to get to F1." ## The long-term future Like many races on the calendar, the Mexican GP is reliant on government funding. For its return in 2015 this involved the federal government, but that backing was not extended beyond the original contract, which expired in 2019. Since then a new deal was put in place for Mexico City's local government to help support the race, securing a change in the official race title name (officially, this is the Mexico City GP) but also capitalising on the local economic impact. The deal was originally put together by current Mexican president Claudia Sheinbaum, who was head of government for Mexico City from 2018-23 before stepping up to her current role. Her replacement as mayor, Clara Brugada, has a fixed term that runs until 2030, which means she will cover a potential contract extension when the [current deal ends in 2028](https://www.the-race.com/formula-1/how-long-f1-grand-prix-circuits-contracts/). It is one of the very next deals that F1 needs to think about, and Gonzalez says the final call will be down to the local politicians. "This is a partnership that we do with the city," he says. "So if the city is happy to renew, then we go along with them. "One of the main reasons to do this race is for the economic impact and the image of Mexico City outside Mexico City. So it's not only a decision from us; it's a decision that we make together with the authorities in Mexico. "The mayor's term goes every six years, so that's more or less how long we can go." The impact the race has had on the country and city has been notable. From 2015 to 2025, assessment studies point to $8.4 billion in economic benefits to the country and media exposure of Mexico. The race has helped create more than 90,000 jobs. Last year alone, beyond the $1 billion economic impact, there was another $176 million of additional economic activity generated in Mexico City. With positive figures like that, Gonzalez sees no reason why the Mexican GP cannot continue to be a long-term success. "We need to keep continuing to be better and better," he said. "One of the great things that we have as a race is, I think, Mexico City. "The one thing that other races don't have are the Mexicans, who are great for the party and for the welcoming. They don't have the Mexicans, and they don't have this big city, which is an amazing city for culture, gastronomy, and the amount of museums. So that's our big advantage."