Sergio Perez’s Return to Mexico
This weekend we have another American race. This one is in Sergio Perez’s home country, Mexico. The last Mexican GP was of course won by Max Verstappen, who dominated most races last season. His teammate, Sergio “Checo” Perez, did not place. This year there are more drivers getting into the spotlight and winning races. So, is there any chance for Checo to win his home race?
Formula One in Mexico
Mexico has given us six drivers in Formula One throughout the sport’s history. Sergio Perez is arguably the best driver of the six. He has been racing for thirteen years in F1 and has six career wins, and no home win, yet. Perez is one of the first Mexicans racing in Formula One for a while now. The last well-known drivers would have been in the 60s and 70s with the Rodriguez brothers and Hector Rebaque. Another relatively current driver would be Esteban Gutierrez, who raced in 2013, 14, and 16. He was not in the league for very long and even took a break from it in 2015, but he is still worth mentioning. Gutierrez still races in leagues like Formula E.
Winning a Home Race
Winning a home race is not impossible for Perez. There have already been some home wins this season. For example, Charles Leclerc won his home race in Monaco, and it was a very beautiful moment. On the other hand, there are drivers like Logan Sargeant who did not finish at his home race in Miami. Checo is currently in eighth place in the league with 150 points, behind George Russel of Mercedes. With his placement on the grid, he still has a chance of getting first this weekend in Mexico. This would be a great breakthrough for him and the Red Bull team.
Red Bull Racing Team
Sergio Perez and Max Verstappen are the current drivers for the Red Bull racing team in Formula One. Verstappen is in first place overall, but the team has seen many struggles in the middle of their season. Over the mid-season break the team said they had identified the issues in the cars and were working on fixing it. Around that same time the team’s chief technical officer, Adrien Newey, announced his retirement and then his move to Aston Martin. He is now done with his brief break, and back supporting Red Bull for the rest of the season. With his return and the identification of the original issue, both drivers are getting back on track. Verstappen placed third and Perez in seventh.
At this rate, it would not be a surprise if Sergio Perez won the Mexican GP. That would be a major deal and mean a lot to him and his fans. We will all be keeping an eye on him this weekend. The practice races start tomorrow, and the race itself will take place this Sunday in the Mexico City suburbs.
