With just three rounds of the 2007/08 season remaining, the prestigious A1GP title honours are still up for grabs, as the World Cup of Motorsport gears up for round eight in Mexico City next weekend (14-16 March).

Switzerland put in an impressive performance last time out in Durban to regain the series lead, now 10 points ahead of France, after a commanding Feature race win and Sprint race podium finish. France lies in second place on 108 points while New Zealand arrives in Mexico in third place on 98 points after enduring a frustrating weekend in South Africa.

A1GP's inaugural visit to Mexico City's Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez circuit in March 2007 will be remembered for A1 Team Great Britain's maiden victory. Becoming the 13th nation in history to win an A1GP race, it was the inexperienced rookie driver Oliver Jarvis who blitzed the Feature, beating Sprint race winner, and therefore Feature race pole-sitter, Alex Yoong of A1 Team Malaysia.

2007 Formula Renault UK champion, Duncan Tappy, will join GBR in Mexico this year to take on the driving duties for the British team in the rookie session on Friday morning. Twenty-three-year-old Tappy, who was named Autosport Club Driver of the Year in 2007 and has twice been a finalist for the McLaren Autosport BRDC Award, won the 2005 Formula Ford Festival and finished second in the UK championship.

Last season's event was a tough weekend for host nation Mexico, who collided with neighbouring Brazil on the opening lap of the Sprint race, pushing the Brazilian car over the nose of the Mexican and into championship leader Germany. Salvador Duran managed to get the Mexican car back to the pits and the team made some quick repairs in time to get the car back out on track. Duran went on to record the fastest lap of 1m 27.534s, which remains the A1GP lap record around the circuit.

The bumpy surface makes handling difficult for the drivers and the relatively high altitude – the track lies at 2,285 metres (7,500 feet) above sea level – makes for challenging racing conditions. The infamous Peraltada corner, which is lined by a concrete wall on the outside and has no run-off area, has been modified slightly by adding an extra chicane on the entry to the extremely fast final corner, providing a breaking zone and potential overtaking opportunity.

Ahead of its home event next weekend, A1 Team Mexico has announced that David Martínez, who represented his nation in A1GP in season one and knows the Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez circuit well, will join David Garza in the Mexican squad. Garza, who was born in Monterrey, Mexico, is excited to be representing his country on home soil and is targeting a podium finish:

'Racing for A1 Team Mexico in my country will be a dream come true. I am really looking forward to racing at the Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez since half of my family lives in that city. I am extremely proud to have been elected to drive in Mexico and I am really committed to getting as much as possible out of this opportunity. I promise to give it my absolute best as I have done in the past, but with the support of the Mexican crowd I am sure we can achieve a great result. Since my first race in A1GP (in China in December 2007) I have always been dreaming of that moment, so this would be the best time to get out all that we have been learning since then, put everything together and get a podium for all my countrymen.'

As Garza is now ineligible to take part in the rookie practice sessions, 26-year-old David Martínez will drive the Mexican car on Friday morning. Martínez, who raced for A1 Team Mexico four times in season one, is delighted to be back in A1GP and looking forward to teaming up with Garza:

'I'm really happy to be able to represent Mexico and to help the team achieve a good result in front of all the Mexican fans, and what better way to do it than alongside David Garza. For many years we've wanted to be teammates and finally we are going to get a chance to do it. During the last few months I've kept myself busy and in shape driving Champ Cars, I've learned quite a bit and I believe that I will be able to apply that knowledge to help A1 Team Mexico improve their setup. I love this track, I've had a lot of success here and I'm really looking forward to putting in some quick laps in the Mexican car.

'I've always followed A1GP very closely, I think it is a very special concept and it's usually some of the best racing in international motorsports. I'm really glad to be back with A1 Team Mexico and I hope that together we can achieve a great result.'