Over the previous few years, a lot has been mentioned and written concerning the development of Method 1, notably in america. Whether or not it was the thrilling 2021 title combat between Max Verstappen and Lewis Hamilton, the success of the Netflix docuseries Drive to Survive, or some mixture of things, F1 is experiencing a second in america. The circuit now involves the US 3 times a season together with the latest addition to the schedule, the glitzy Las Vegas Grand Prix.
Nonetheless, F1 has skilled a surge in recognition in one other nation in recent times, with a a lot clearer cause why. That nation is Mexico, and that cause is their favourite son, Sergio Pérez.
F1 has surged in recognition in Mexico over the previous few seasons, with attendance on the Mexico Metropolis Grand Prix proof of the game’s rising traction. Since returning to the schedule in 2015 the Mexico Metropolis Grand Prix has been a sellout each single yr, and this season over 400,000 followers attended the race, making it the third-highest race weekend of the season.
It was additionally a record-breaking determine for the race’s historical past.
Pérez is with out query Mexico’s favourite son, and he stands atop F1 historical past as probably the most completed Mexican driver within the sport’s historical past. Pérez and Pedro Rodríguez are the one Mexican drivers to ever win an F1 race, with Pérez reaching the highest step of the rostrum six instances in his profession.
Since becoming a member of Crimson Bull in 2021 Pérez has been a big a part of that group’s success, serving to Verstappen clinch his first Drivers’ Championship that season. Pérez was an enormous a part of Crimson Bull returning to the highest of the Constructors’ Championship standings in 2022, and a season in the past when Crimson Bull defended their title he completed second to Verstappen within the Drivers’ Championship, his finest consequence ever within the sport.
He was additionally the primary Mexican driver in F1 historical past to win the Monaco Grand Prix, the game’s premier occasion.
This fascinating piece from the Los Angeles Occasions from final season highlighted simply how a lot followers in his residence nation respect Pérez, and that appreciation can maybe be finest summed up on this quote from one such fan, Mary Rosas: “He’s making an impression on all Latinos and making Method Yet another widespread,” she mentioned. “There’s one thing about Checo and his angle — he talks so effectively about his nation and he doesn’t lose his roots.”
Through the years, Pérez has spoken at size about what the Mexico Metropolis Grand Prix, and the help from his residence nation’s followers, imply to him.
“Nothing compares to being in Mexico,” mentioned Pérez on the FIA Press Convention forward of the 2023 Mexico Metropolis Grand Prix. “Being within the States will get shut however no, not even. The reception and the fervour of the followers that I’ve right here doesn’t evaluate to anyplace else on the earth.”
Additionally in that session, Pérez declared the reception he and the opposite drivers obtain from the Mexican followers to be one of the best of the season.
“I feel we’ve obtained to understand, clearly, the Mexican followers are actually enthusiastic. However on the similar time, now we have to ensure that the drivers are comfortably going across the paddock, and I feel that that needs to be a pleasant steadiness,” added Pérez. “And I simply need everybody to have a good time in my nation and I feel that’s one thing that went over the restrict final yr, that hopefully this yr may be improved, as a result of general, it’s in my view, like one of the best reception for all of the drivers on the earth.”
Pérez shared comparable ideas forward of this yr’s installment of the Mexico Metropolis Grand Prix.
“It’s fairly spectacular. You at all times overlook when you’re on the opposite aspect of the world with so many races, you actually overlook the quantity of help you’ve gotten in your personal nation,” mentioned Pérez on the FIA Press Convention forward of this season’s Mexico Metropolis Grand Prix. “And yeah, it’s superb. It’s an amazing alternative. It’s an amazing expertise each single Grand Prix. You realize, it’s loopy to suppose that that is the ninth Grand Prix that we’ve had. I used to be simply joking with a few of my sponsors yesterday, yearly we used to do a soccer sport for the for the lead as much as the grand prix and now no person can play as a result of everybody has points with the knees, with the again, you understand, so everyone seems to be getting old a lot! It’s simply nice you understand to look again at it and clearly this yr once more I feel this Mexican Grand Prix, to me, I feel it’s one of the best on the earth by fairly a bit.”
What made this yr’s installment of the Mexico Metropolis Grand Prix further particular for the house followers was the presence of Pato O’Ward, one other Mexican driver who competes for Arrow McLaren in IndyCar, and is a reserve driver for McLaren’s F1 group. O’Ward drove within the first follow session forward of the 2024 Mexico Grand Prix, giving Pérez an opportunity to speak about his fellow Mexican driver and the expansion of the game in Mexico.
“Nicely, I feel it’s nice, you understand, for the followers. Prior to now, we had Esteban [Gutierrez] that was there additionally. We had two Mexican drivers on the time. And it’s actually laborious for a rustic to have one Method 1 driver. So to have two racing on the similar time, it was only a distinctive second,” mentioned Pérez. “So it’s nice for the group. And I hope Pato can get a chance quickly in a group to be a racing driver in Method 1.
Pérez has not loved the strongest of seasons in 2024, going through questions every week about his future at Crimson Bull. With outcomes on the Qatar Grand Prix final weekend, the season’s penultimate race, Pérez is locked into an eighth-place end within the Drivers’ Championship standings, and Crimson Bull was eradicated from competition for the Constructors’ title.
However at the same time as he was struggling, these round him pointed to the help he would obtain in Mexico Metropolis as one thing particular. Talking with the media, together with SB Nation, following america Grand Prix in Austin Crimson Bull Crew Principal Christian Horner indicated the group in Mexico can be behind Pérez, pushing him to success.
“Hopefully, with the help that he’ll obtain in Mexico, it’s going to once more give him that enhance,” mentioned Horner in Austin.
Sadly, that enhance by no means materialized for Pérez, who completed seventeenth on this yr’s Mexico Metropolis Grand Prix. However these outcomes matter little when in comparison with what Pérez has meant to the game, and its rising Mexican fan base.
In any case, he’s an enormous cause why the Mexico Metropolis Grand Prix has turn into, in his phrases, the “finest on the earth.”
