Mexico set for full-house Grand Prix

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It looks like Mexico City's Hermanos Rodriguez track complex will be packed to the brim when Formula 1 returns to the country's capital next October as ticket sales are booming.

Last year, organisers registered a three-day attendance figure of 336,000 people and they have subsequently added capacity for the 2016 event according to promoter Rodrigo Sanchez.

"The presale is going very smoothly, we have a slightly larger capacity, we can now fit 150,000 people this year and it looks like we will fill those spots," Sanchez told German publication Auto Motor und Sport.

Given the presence on the grid this year of two local drivers, Sergio Perez and Esteban Gutierrez, Mexican fervor for Grand Prix racing is gaining huge momentum.

"We have two Mexican drivers in the field, when did we last see that? In addition, we are benefiting from our successful Grand Prix last year.

"We have a five-year contract and would like to make this Grand Prix a classic."

The Mexican Grand Prix returned to the calendar in 2015 after a 23-year absence and was a tremendous success thanks to the country's spirit, warmth and passion.

Set just three races from the end of the championship, the event shall hopefully provide another thrilling showdown between Lewis Hamilton and last year's Mexican GP victor, Nico Rosberg.

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Phillip van Osten

Motor racing was a backdrop from the outset in Phillip van Osten's life. Born in Southern California, Phillip grew up with the sights and sounds of fast cars thanks to his father, Dick van Osten, an editor and writer for Auto Speed and Sport and Motor Trend. Phillip's passion for racing grew even more when his family moved to Europe and he became acquainted with the extraordinary world of Grand Prix racing. He was an early contributor to the monthly French F1i Magazine, often providing a historic or business perspective on Formula 1's affairs. In 2012, he co-authored along with fellow journalist Pierre Van Vliet the English-language adaptation of a limited edition book devoted to the great Belgian driver Jacky Ickx. He also authored "The American Legacy in Formula 1", a book which recounts the trials and tribulations of American drivers in Grand Prix racing. Phillip is also a commentator for Belgian broadcaster Be.TV for the US Indycar series.