By his own account, this Formula 1 season has been a big disappointment for Sergio Perez. However, if there’s any chance for him to improve, it would be at his home race, the Mexico City Grand Prix, which he thinks is the best event in F1.
“I know I’ve had a terrible season, a very difficult one,” Perez said Thursday. “If I can get a strong result, it can change my season massively.” Will that change be enough to keep his job at Red Bull? That is still uncertain.
Although Perez signed a two-year contract extension in June to stay with Red Bull until 2026, many believe he is not secure in his position and could be replaced at any time by Red Bull advisor Helmut Marko.
Red Bull has confirmed that the new contract includes performance clauses, and Marko has repeatedly kept Perez’s name in the rumors by praising younger drivers.
Recently, he complimented McLaren’s rising star Oscar Piastri, who responded on Thursday: “It wouldn’t be a week in F1 without some comments from Helmut.”
Yuki Tsunoda mentioned on Thursday that he is still hoping for a promotion to Red Bull from their sister team, RB, while Liam Lawson, who officially took Daniel Ricciardo’s spot at RB last week, is working hard to prove he deserves a full-time seat. Lawson finished ninth last week in Austin, Texas.
Perez hasn’t helped his situation with his performance. He hasn’t won a race for the first time since joining Red Bull in 2021, has only four podium finishes this year, and is currently eighth in the driver standings. He has also crashed three times, which has contributed to Red Bull losing the lead in the constructors’ championship race to McLaren.
His decline started after a strong beginning to the year, where he achieved four podium finishes in the first five races. Now, he has gone 14 races without a podium.
“Momentum in Formula 1 is very important; you just put the car on track and you know everything is working, and you are so far ahead of those who have many problems,” Perez said. “I think it’s the same for everyone. But I also know how this sport works, and it’s all about your last race.”
Now he hopes to repeat his success from 2021 and 2022, when Perez finished on the podium at Autodromo Hermanos Rodríguez both years. His 2021 result made him the first Mexican driver to achieve this at the event, and he celebrated by bringing his son with him to collect the trophy.
“I think that moment will stay with me forever, having my son up there with me on the podium watching me,” he said.
“It’s something that I hope he remembers forever; if not, I have the picture to show him when he’s older, you know? Those moments really matter to me, and I hope I can repeat that this weekend.”
To do this, he needs to avoid a repeat of last season’s performance when he collided with Charles Leclerc on the first lap and ended his race immediately. However, he has moved past that and is focused on helping Red Bull and improving his own season.
“I think this is Formula 1 — sometimes the results don’t come, and you just have to keep your head down, focus on what you can control, and not worry about the rest,” Perez said. “I feel that I’m in the same situation as the team. We found a major issue in Monza, and after that, we’re heading in the right direction.”
