Autódromo Internacional de Yucatán (Autódromo Emerson Fittipaldi)

Autódromo Internacional de Yucatán (Autódromo Emerson Fittipaldi) at a glance

Location

Progreso, Yucatán

Type

road course

Length

3.34 km (2.075 mi)

Banking

Curves feature light banking of roughly 3% to 5%

Surface

asphalt

Opened

2017

Owner

Javier Montero Azuara

Address

Municipality of Progreso, north of Mérida

Track map and layout

Autódromo Yucatán, also known as Autódromo Emerson Fittipaldi after the two-time Formula 1 champion who attended its 2017 opening, is a 3.34 km road course laid out on flat coastal land in Progreso, just north of Mérida. Its main straight runs 750 metres and is a relatively wide 15 metres, narrowing to about 12 metres through the rest of the lap, with gentle banking of around 3-5% through the curves. As one of Mexico's newest permanent circuits, it was built to modern international standards from the outset, though the exact number and shape of its corners is not widely documented in English-language sources.

Events and race weekends

Since opening in 2017 the circuit has hosted a mix of domestic and regional categories, including truck racing championships, GT Mexico, the NACAM Formula 4 Championship and motorcycle series such as RBM and MexBike, with TCR México and GT Challenge Americas dates planned. Its biggest milestone came in 2026, when the NASCAR Mexico Series visited Yucatán for the first time in the series' history, with the Gran Premio Yucatán 200 run as a national semifinal playoff doubleheader in October.

Getting there and parking

The circuit sits in Progreso, the port town on Yucatán's Gulf coast about 30-40 minutes' drive north of Mérida, the state capital. Most visitors fly into Mérida and drive or take a taxi/rideshare north along the Mérida-Progreso highway; there is no rail service to the venue.

• Mérida International Airport (MID) · about 45 min drive

Hotels and camping near Autódromo Internacional de Yucatán (Autódromo Emerson Fittipaldi)

Most visitors base themselves in Mérida, Yucatán's colonial capital and the region's main hub for hotels, dining and flights, roughly 30-40 minutes' drive south of the circuit, though Progreso itself has beach hotels for those who prefer to stay closer to the coast. Expect hotel demand to rise sharply around the NASCAR Mexico Series' Yucatán dates given how new this fixture is to the calendar.

Where to look

Mérida's historic centre and Paseo de Montejo for the widest hotel choice, or Progreso's beachfront for visitors who prefer to stay near the coast and the circuit.

Track days, driving experiences and lap records

As a relatively new facility built mainly to host national and regional racing series, Autódromo Yucatán is not known for a standing commercial track-day programme aimed at the public; access outside organised race weekends should be confirmed directly with the venue.

Spectator guide

Spectator facilities are geared toward the domestic and regional series that make up most of the calendar; grandstand capacity and layout are not widely published, and the circuit's profile has risen mainly through its first-ever NASCAR Mexico Series date in 2026. Coastal Yucatán's hot, humid climate is a bigger factor for spectators here than at most Mexican circuits.

Seating

Grandstands along the main straight; specific seating details are announced per event rather than published year-round.

Weather

• Nov-Feb: the coolest and driest months, highs around 28-30°C (82-86°F)
• May-Sep: hot and humid with a wet season, highs frequently above 33°C (91°F)

History of Autódromo Internacional de Yucatán (Autódromo Emerson Fittipaldi)

A modern circuit for Yucatán

Autódromo Yucatán opened in January 2017 in Progreso, on the Gulf coast just north of Mérida, built by Veracruz-born businessman Javier Montero Azuara at a cost of around 51 million Mexican pesos. Its opening event, a round of a South American Formula Ford series, was attended by two-time Formula 1 world champion Emerson Fittipaldi, and the facility has carried his name informally ever since as the Autódromo Emerson Fittipaldi.

Building a domestic racing calendar

In its early years the circuit built a calendar around Mexican and regional categories rather than a single flagship series: truck racing championships, GT Mexico, the NACAM Formula 4 Championship and motorcycle series including RBM and MexBike all raced there, giving Yucatán a modern, purpose-built venue where none had existed before.

A first for NASCAR Mexico

The circuit's profile jumped sharply in 2026, when the NASCAR Mexico Series announced it would race in Yucatán for the first time in the championship's history. The Gran Premio Yucatán 200, scheduled as a doubleheader national semifinal in the series' Chase for the Cup playoffs in October 2026, brought Mexico's premier stock-car series to the state for the first time and marked the circuit's biggest event to date, with TCR México and GT Challenge Americas dates also planned as the venue continues to grow its calendar.

Frequently asked questions