<I>Manyana</I> hits Mexican circuit plans.

Mexico's proposed new Formula One facility has been put on hold while race organisers attempt to free up the land earmarked for construction.

According to reports in the national media, the site at Cancun on the eastern coast remains the subject of a dispute between the government, local authorities and the land owners, and each day that passes throws the chances of Mexico returning to the F1 calendar in 2006 further and further into doubt. Construction of the $80million Mantarraya circuit, which has been penned by Hermann Tilke, was due to have started last month, but the wrangling continues, and a potential October date is now looking unlikely.

"Unfortunately, everything is going slower than we expected," former Mexican F1 pilot H?ctor Rebaque, now a member of the organising committee, told the El Universal newspaper, "I had hoped that the venue would have started to take shape, ensuring that a great opportunity for Mexico to bring big rewards is not lost, but there are some pending problems that have caused delays."

The 700 hectare site on the Yucatan peninsula was to have been redeveloped using finances raised by a number of private companies, with the land donated by the local authorities, and it is the latter point that is proving to be the sticking point. With the matter now reaching crisis point, Rebaque has even gone as far as suggesting that a new venue could be sought.

"The are problems with the land, and the start of construction," he continued, "There is a fixed [race] date for October 2006, and this means that things need to be resolved urgently. We expect to have a decision from the development group shortly, and in principle, the racetrack might no longer be in the same area, which will itself bring about changes in the project."

Race organisers have struck a five-year deal with Bernie Ecclestone for Mexico to return to the F1 stage for the first time in 14 years. The new venue, wherever it finally emerges, will replace Mexico City's Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez, which has played host to the Champ Car World Series in recent years, and will add both Grand-Am and the NASCAR Busch Series in 2005.