The Mexico City Grand Prix starts at the Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez at 2pm local time on Sunday, November 1. By the time the lights go out, Perez will join Rubens Barrichello, Jenson Button, Michael Schumacher, Fernando Alonso, Kimi Räikkönen and Lewis Hamilton on the short list of drivers who have made 300 Grand Prix starts.
Only Perez will do it in his home race.
“It’s my 300th race as well at home, so it’s pretty incredible, like all of this has happened in Mexico,” he told SB Nation on Thursday at the United States Grand Prix in Austin. He added that he had not realised the milestone was coming until it appeared in the planning for the weekend, and said having a Mexican driver and a Mexican Grand Prix means a lot to a country with little F1 history.
11 cars for car No. 11
Cadillac has built an entire week around the home race. On Wednesday, October 28, Perez will drive a Cadillac Formula 1 car along Paseo de la Reforma, Mexico City’s main avenue, in a public show run confirmed by the team. The manufacturer has also unveiled a limited Cadillac Escalade-V Checo Perez Edition, 11 units in honour of the Mexican’s race number, priced at 4,099,000 pesos, about $222,500.
The on-track reality is less flattering. Perez and teammate Valtteri Bottas sit at the back of the drivers’ standings on zero points after 17 rounds, with Cadillac still running customer Ferrari power units while General Motors builds its own factory engine for later in the decade.
“Obviously, it’s tough to digest for a fan because they want to see me winning and in the fight,” Perez told Racingnews365 ahead of the Mexican race.
He told SB Nation that the car is “just too far away” from the midfield, and that he expects “a very big step” in 2027.
A title that could be settled, too
The race carries weight well beyond the home celebration. Kimi Antonelli heads to Mexico with a 123-point lead over Mercedes teammate George Russell and 125 points still available across five remaining rounds, Racingnews365 reports.
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Antonelli needs to finish ninth or higher to clinch the drivers’ title in Mexico City, with that threshold shifting depending on who wins the race. If he wraps it up on Sunday, he would be the youngest Formula 1 world champion at 20 years, 2 months and 7 days, taking the record off Sebastian Vettel.
Lights out at 2pm
The 71-lap race starts at 2pm local time at the Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez. Perez has not confirmed how long he plans to stay in Formula 1 beyond 2026.
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