Why Sergio Perez means so much to Mexico as he celebrates his 300th Grand Prix

Why Sergio Perez means so much to Mexico as he celebrates his 300th Grand Prix

As Sergio Perez celebrates his 300th Grand Prix on home soil, we explore the special bond between Checo and the country that raised him.

There are few places where Sergio Perez’s popularity is as obvious as the Autodromo Hermanos Rodríguez. And this weekend, as Mexico City celebrates its Grand Prix alongside Día de Muertos, the home favourite returns to mark another milestone: his 300th Grand Prix.

When Checo leaves the pit lane, it will be his 10th home race and his first in Cadillac colours. Results have been hard to come by for F1’s newest team, but that is unlikely to diminish the reception for a driver who has become one of Mexico’s biggest motorsport figures.

The sound of home

When Perez arrives at the Autodromo, attention follows him everywhere. Inside the Foro Sol, the old baseball stadium incorporated into the circuit, the reception can be deafening. Checo has said himself that he can hear the crowd and feel the cheers from the cockpit.

In 2021, racing alongside Max Verstappen at Red Bull, he finished third to become the first Mexican driver to stand on the podium at his home Grand Prix. He ende...