MEXICO CITY — Sergio Perez has characterized his current Formula 1 season as a significant disappointment. However, the Mexico City Grand Prix, which he boasts as the most exciting event in the F1 calendar, presents him with a crucial opportunity to turn things around.
“I understand that this has been a terrible season for me, a very challenging one,” Perez noted on Thursday. “A strong performance here could lead to a major shift in my overall season.”
Whether this change will be sufficient to secure his position at Red Bull Racing is still uncertain.
Although Perez extended his contract for two more years in June, which keeps him with Red Bull until 2026, there remains skepticism about his job security. It seems that his place might be vulnerable, with Red Bull’s advisor, Helmut Marko, constantly linked to discussions about potential replacements. The team has acknowledged that the new contract includes performance-based clauses, and Marko has recently drawn attention for complimenting younger racers, including the latest McLaren sensation, Oscar Piastri. Piastri took Marko’s comments in stride, quipping that “it wouldn’t be a week in F1 without some remarks from Helmut.”
On another note, Yuki Tsunoda expressed his ambitions of stepping up to Red Bull from their sister team, RB, while Liam Lawson, who officially took over Daniel Ricciardo’s seat last week, is eager to prove he deserves a permanent spot on the team. He finished ninth in the previous race in Austin, Texas.
However, Perez’s own performance has made it difficult to bolster his case. He is currently winless for the first time since joining Red Bull in 2021, having only achieved four podium finishes this year, and currently sits eighth in the driver standings. His struggles this season included three crashes, which have contributed to Red Bull losing its lead in the constructors’ championship race to McLaren.
After a promising start to the season, where he collected four podiums in the first five races, he has faced a drought, going 14 races without stepping onto the podium.
“Momentum in Formula 1 is crucial; when you put the car on the track and everything flows, you find yourself ahead of those who are dealing with problems,” Perez explained. “It affects everyone the same way. However, I thoroughly understand how this sport works—it’s all about your most recent performance.”
He hopes to echo his achievements from 2021 and 2022 when he secured podium finishes at Autodromo Hermanos Rodríguez in both instances. His 2021 performance marked him as the first Mexican driver to achieve a podium finish at this event, a milestone he commemorated by having his son accompany him to receive the trophy.
“Those memories will stick with me forever; having my son up there on the podium watching me is something I hope he cherishes,” he shared. “If not, I at least have pictures to share with him when he grows older. Those moments mean the world to me, and I’m eager to replicate that experience this weekend.”
To successfully achieve this, he must steer clear of a repeat of last season’s incident where he collided with Charles Leclerc early in the race, ending his participation prematurely. Nevertheless, Perez has moved past that and is concentrating on contributing to Red Bull and improving his season.
“This is what Formula 1 is about—at times results may not arrive, and the key is to stay focused on what can be controlled while letting go of what you cannot influence,” he said. “I feel like I am aligned with the team. Following our discovery of a significant issue in Monza, we’ve been making strides in the right direction since then.”