Carlos Sainz, the Williams driver, surprised his fans with a special gesture towards Mexico before the Grand Prix that will take place this weekend at the Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez. The Spaniard presented the design of his new helmet, inspired by the chili pepper, one of the most recognizable symbols of Mexican cuisine.

Sainz, known among his friends by the nickname "Chili," shared images of the helmet on his social media, where the predominant colors are white, red, and blue. On the back, a skull and a wrestler's mask stand out, two representative icons of the country. "Mexico, this is for you! Thank you for so much love year after year!" he wrote on his Sainz has a special connection with this race: in 2024 he won the Mexican Grand Prix while still racing with the Ferrari team, a victory that established him in the eyes of the local public.

A high-impact event for Mexican tourism

The Mexican Grand Prix is ??not only one of the most anticipated dates on the motorsport calendar, but also one of the most profitable for the country. According to the Ministry of Tourism (Sectur), this year's edition will generate an economic impact of more than 4 billion pesos (approximately $217 million USD) in tourism services such as lodging, transportation, food, and entertainment.

Josefina Rodriguez Zamora, head of Sectur, highlighted in a statement that Formula 1 "is a clear example of how sports tourism drives the country's economy and projects Mexico's image to the world to consolidate it as a leading destination for hosting top-level international events."

According to official estimates, the Metropolitan Zone of the Valley of Mexico will register a hotel occupancy of more than 314,000 tourists during the week of October 20-26, which represents an increase of 1.7% compared to the previous year. Of that total, 72% will be domestic tourists and 28% will be foreign tourists.

Rodriguez Zamora also highlighted the event's positive impact on the local economy. "Behind this event are thousands of people who directly benefit: hotel and restaurant workers, transport workers, guides, artisans, local merchants, and tourism service providers," he explained.