A month after NASCAR made history with its first points-paying Cup Series race, the Viva Mexico 250 outside the United States since 1958, a return to Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez in Mexico City in 2026 looks uncertain now.According to sports' insider Jordan Bianchi's report, the significant logistical and scheduling barriers are threatening Mexico City’s future despite strong interest from NASCAR and the city and track organizers. View this post on Instagram Instagram PostThe inaugural Mexico City race was widely seen as a success, both in terms of fan turnout and competitive action. It marked a major milestone in NASCAR’s global ambition, but continuing the event next year may be more complicated than initially hoped.According to Bianchi, the main problem comes down to Cup Series' tight 38-week Cup race schedule that leaves very little time, making it hard to accommodate a high-travel international Mexico City event without disrupting the flow of the season. After the Mexico race, teams expressed concerns over the logistical strain, particularly on hauler drivers who faced a hell of a trip.“The best option, multiple sources said, would be to shift Mexico City to either the week before or after Easter — the lone weekend next year between Daytona and the Homestead finale that Cup isn’t expected to be racing,” The Athletic’ Jordan Bianchi reports.“Finding a spring date on NASCAR’s schedule, however, is challenging, as several tracks traditionally hold races at that time of year. NASCAR also needs a solution that makes sense logistically and reduces the burden on hauler drivers, who had to travel from outside Detroit to Mexico City in just a few days,” he continued. View this post on Instagram Instagram PostDespite these hurdles, both NASCAR and the city track officials remain optimistic about continuing the Mexico race. However, sources told Bianchi that there’s a shared desire to return, but finding a realistic date for 2026 is becoming increasingly difficult. If no compromise can be reached in the coming months, the event could be paused until 2027.Who won the 2025 NASCAR Mexico City race?Cup Series rookie Shane van Gisbergen won the inaugural Viva Mexico 250 at Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez. SVG dominated the race from the pole and led the race-high 60 laps to reach the victory lane. He secured the comfortable win by a margin of 16.567 seconds over Joe Gibbs Racing driver Christopher Bell. The win margin was the largest in the series since the Texas race in 2009.Chase Elliott finished third, followed by Alex Bowman, Michael McDowell, John Hunter Nemechek, Chase Briscoe, Cole Custer, William Byron, and Chris Buescher, who rounded out the top 10.As of now, the future of the Mexico race for 2026 remains uncertain. But if mutual interest holds and scheduling stars align, fans in Mexico may just have to wait one more year to see the roar of Next Gen cars return to the 2.417-mile Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez.