Street food, summer and city life: Noel León on his hometown of Monterrey

Van Amersfoort Racing rookie Noel León is in his debut season of Formula 3 this year, and it’s about time we got to know the Mexican driver a little more.

The VAR talent talks all about his hometown of Monterrey where he grew up, the hotspots to visit nearby as well as his recommendation for anyone visiting the city. As you might expect, the local cuisine comes highly recommended.

WHERE DID YOU GROW UP?

“I grew up in Monterrey, Mexico. It’s one of the biggest cities in Mexico, a really nice place to be, it’s close to the border to the United States and it’s just an amazing place. I’m still based there, but in a different part.”

WHAT LANGUAGES ARE SPOKEN THERE?

“Español!”

HOW WOULD YOU DESCRIBE IT TO SOMEONE WHO’S NEVER BEEN?

“First of all, be aware because in the summer, it’s really, really hot! We have a lot of lakes and a few mountains nearby the city and it’s really, really amazing. Sometimes in the winter we have snow and it’s amazing to see the mountains covered by all the snow.”

WHAT WOULD YOU RECOMMEND FOR SOMEONE WHO’S VISITING FOR THE FIRST TIME?

“They have to go from Monterrey to a town close by, about 30 minutes away where you can see all the mountains, and there’s a lake nearby the mountain and they need to go see that. It’s in Santiago.”

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WHERE’S THE BEST PLACE TO GO FOR FOOD?

“Well, it’s Tacos wherever you are! You have to get some tacos. I can’t pick a place that I love the most, but I love street food. If you go for tacos, they’re amazing everywhere!”

WHERE CAN WE GO KARTING?

“Ahh I have two recommendations. There’s a nice track in Monterrey where everything started for me, it’s called Autodromo Monterrey and the new one is in Santiago Nuevo León – the place you need to visit, because a lot of tourists visit there, and it’s amazing. But Autodromo Monterrey has been my home track for a while now.”