Mexican Grand Prix - 1980s Return

1980s Return

American IndyCars arrived for a brief two-year visit in 1980 and 1981, racing as the Grand Prix of Mexico on the track now named for Mexico two lost racing heroes, Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez. The event was dominated by Rick Mears. Five years later with much improved organisation the race returned to Mexico City in 1986 where the raced played host to Gerhard Berger's first race win in his Benetton B186 in a race where an ill Berger outlasted his opposition as tyres problems struck most of the field. The race again enjoyed a short stay on the calendar with the race last being held in 1992 where Williams pair Nigel Mansell and Riccardo patrese dominated the race. By this point the bumps had decayed even further and the decline of Mexico City itself with increasing crowding and pollution problems saw Formula One leave for good. 2002 saw the revival of the Grand Prix of Mexico for Champ Cars on a much modified version of the Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez circuit which included cutting the peraltada in half. In a six year stay which saw Sébastien Bourdais win half of the six races that followed.