"It's rubbish": IndyCar CEO addresses controversial F1 interference theory in Mexico race talks

IndyCar was in talks with Mexico City race officials about putting the race on the calendar for the 2026 season. However, the same could not be finalized because of the FIFA World Cup taking place in the US next year. Before this revelation, a report suggested that F1 is possibly interfering with IndyCar’s Mexico race. Mark Miles recently came out and rubbished the theory.

NASCAR beat IndyCar to finalize a race in Mexico, which led to a furious response from Pato O'Ward. The Penske Entertainment officials reportedly started talks with the Mexico GP officials for putting the race on the IndyCar calendar. With NASCAR not racing at Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez for 2026, it was believed that IndyCar would take its place.

A couple of months ago, a report suggested that F1 was possibly causing interference in the Mexican IndyCar race. Mexico City race promoter OCESA initially asked for $1M-$1.5M, but reportedly changed their demand by doubling the fee and also asking for a cut in ticket sales.

At the same time, Live Nation, an entertainment company, increased its stake in OCESA from 51% to 75%. The F1 angle comes from the fact that Live Nation is owned by Liberty Media, who also own the Formula One Group.

Mark Miles featured on the latest episode of Pit Pass Indy and was asked about the same. He denied the F1 interference and said,

“I've read that theory, it's rubbish. Live Nation already had a majority holding in the company. They went from, I think, 52% to 70-ish percent. They're supporters of having the event there. And we're dealing directly with the management of the track and the promoter arm of the track, and they're big Indycar fans.” (22:13 onwards)

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The FIFA World Cup reason which prevented Mexico from being on the 2026 IndyCar calendar

The release of the 2026 calendar was delayed because of the ongoing talks with Mexico City race officials, as it was suggested that progress was being made. However, as the calendar was revealed, it was detailed how the race wouldn't take place as it would clash with the 2026 FIFA World Cup in the summertime.

“For more than a year, we have been working diligently to bring the NTT INDYCAR SERIES to Mexico City’s Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez. While extensive progress was made alongside the venue’s operating group and our potential promoter, ultimately the significant impact of next year’s World Cup proved too challenging to ensure a successful event given the available summer dates,” said Mark Miles (via IndyCar)

The idea of having Mexico on the 2027 IndyCar calendar is still open. For the 2026 calendar, Arlington Grand Prix and Phoenix Raceway have been added in place of Thermal Club in the beginning month. Given how tightly packed the start of the season is, the only dates available for the Mexico race were in June, when the FIFA World Cup will take place.