Mexico to stop funding grand prix

The highly popular new Mexican grand prix is now in doubt for the future.

Claudia Sheinbaum, the mayor of Mexico City, has announced that there will be no more government backing for the race beyond this year’s event in October.

She told El Financiero, Mexico’s major national business newspaper, that the F1 funding will instead go into the Mayan Train infrastructure project.

"By 2020, the federal government no longer has the resource because it is allocating most of the fund to the completion of the Mayan Train," Sheinbaum said.

"There will be formula one in 2019 because the amount has already been allocated since last year," she added.

Sheinbaum said discussions with the race promoter Ocesa are being held to find alternative funding.

"We have sat down with Ocesa to see if the amount can be lowered or if there are some other alternatives," she said.