How Sergio Perez turned the Mexico City Grand Prix into a national celebration

A decade since it arrived back on the calendar, the Mexico City Grand Prix will look and sound much the same – the mariachi bands, the flags, the roar from the Foro Sol. But there’s one big difference this time. For the first time since its glorious 2015 return, Sergio Perez won’t be on the grid.

That’s right – for the first time in 10 years, the number 11 car won’t be lining up on the grid this weekend at the Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez. After parting ways with Red Bull at the end of 2024, this year Checo finds himself watching from the sidelines. Yet home fans need not worry. His break will be a short one, because Perez is set to return next season with the brand-new Cadillac F1 Team – the sport’s 11th entrant – in what promises to be an exciting new chapter both for the team, the driver, and even for Mexican motorsport.

Still, his presence will certainly be felt everywhere. In the streets where murals of his Red Bull stint still shine bright, in the grandstands that carry his number and Mexican flags, and in the hearts of the thousands who’ve made the Mexico City Grand Prix what it is: a celebration of this special driver, of national pride, and of home.

From Guadalajara to the world

To understand why Sergio Perez means so much to Mexican motorsport fans, you have to go back to where it all began – Guadalajara, Western Mexico. It was there, on a local kart circuit that a six-year-old Checo first climbed into a kart built for racers twice his age. When racing, he was often the youngest in his class but never the slowest – and so he quickly developed a handy knack for overtaking...

By his mid-teens, Perez’s talent and ambitions had outgrown his homeland. At just 14, he left Mexico for Europe to race in Formula BMW in Germany – alone and far from his family and any sense of familiarity. But he told himself, “No, I can't give up. If I return to Mexico I'll never come back. Maybe it's worth giving everything and fight for it and try to make it.” That determination carried him through the toughest early days – and good thing he stuck it out!

Those struggles clearly hardened him. Within a decade, he would become the first Mexican to reach Formula 1 in over 30 years – following in the footsteps of legends Pedro and Ricardo Rodriguez, whose names still echo around the Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez every race weekend.

The race that became a homecoming

When F1 returned to Mexico in 2015, the event quickly established itself as one of the most colourful and passionate on the calendar. The reception Perez received each year from the adoring home crowd was enough to give even the coldest cynic butterflies. But when he joined Red Bull in 2021, it evolved into something even more profound.

For the first time, a Mexican driver had a car capable of winning at home. The fans knew it – and the energy inside the Autodromo reflected that. The noise, already formidable, hit a whole new level.

That year, Checo climbed onto the podium after finishing P3 – the first Mexican driver ever to do so at home – and the sight was unforgettable. He stood wrapped in the flag, confetti raining down, the crowd in the Foro Sol stadium singing his name in unison – a pure goosebumps moment. "I have pretty much everyone that has been with me since day one up there,” he said afterwards. “It's a very special day for my family, for my country, for all the fans and also for the team."

The sound of an entire nation

Ask any driver what it’s like to race in Mexico City and they’ll all mention the same thing: the noise. The Foro Sol stadium section of the circuit – where the track snakes through an old baseball arena – has become one of the sport's best viewpoints.

It’s there that the emotion of the crowd takes more of a physical form. Fans are singing, dancing, waving flags, and raising banners in every corner of the stadium. And when Checo’s car appeared, the sound reached another level entirely. Perez admitted himself that when he drives through the stadium section at his home race he “can feel the energy of the fans… I could actually hear the crowd” – an amazing feat considering the overpowering noise of the V6 engines.

The pressure of home

Of course, the utter devotion of the crowd brings pressure. Every lap, every pit stop, every strategic decision is amplified when you’re racing in front of – and for – your nation. For Checo, the stakes have always been highest when racing in Mexico City.

The last few seasons brought challenges. Racing alongside four-time World Champion Max Verstappen has meant constant comparison and scrutiny, which only amplified the emotional rollercoaster of competing on home soil. Reflecting on his 2023 Mexican Grand Prix, where he retired early after a first-lap collision, Perez admitted, “I’ve had some really sad moments in my career, but certainly this race is the saddest one, because of the end result.”

It’s a stark reminder that with the weight of expectation on him – yes, the high moments feel higher... but the lows are even lower. Yet even in difficult moments, the fans’ unwavering support for their driver never falters. Whether Perez finishes first or struggles with setbacks, the cheers remain as loud as ever.

Checo and the Mexico City Grand Prix: a shared legacy

Few relationships in Formula 1 capture the spirit of a nation quite like Sergio Perez and the Mexico City Grand Prix. Together, they’ve reignited the country’s relationship with motorsport, turning what used to be seen as a niche passion into an opportunity for national celebration and showcasing Latin American talent.

Since its return to the calendar a decade ago, the Autodromo Hermanos Rodríguez has come to be a platform for up-and-coming Mexican motorsport talent. Across the Grand Prix weekend, the circuit comes alive with support races from the Formula 4 NACAM Championship, TCR Mexico and GTM Super Copa, each brimming with young drivers chasing their own dreams of reaching the top.

For many of those youngsters, Checo is the benchmark – the driver who proved that a kid from Guadalajara could take on the world and win (six times at that!). They’ve grown up watching him, cheering him through the highs and lows, and now they race on the same circuit, and no doubt fuelled by the same belief that carried him from karts as a kid all the way into F1.

Their impact has been seen in grassroots, where in recent years motorsport has surged in popularity across Mexico. Local circuits are busier, fan clubs are thriving, and 'Checo' has become a household name well beyond F1 circles. The race weekends have also become community events, with families, schools, and local businesses embracing motorsport culture.

In many ways, Checo and his home race have grown together. Each has lifted the other, showing how sport can reflect the soul of a country. And although he’ll be watching from the sidelines this year, that bond will only grow stronger.

When he returns to the grid in 2026 with the Cadillac Formula 1 Team, few moments will feel more magical than seeing Mexico’s hero back where he belongs – and he'll once again be cheered on by his adoring crowd that never stopped believing in him.