Checo Pérez is left without a party or champagne at the Miami Grand Prix

Checo Pérez fell in the mud this weekend. Miami was not a drama, nor a joy for the Mexican pilot. The Mexican finished in sixth fifth in a Grand Prix that was predestined to be a stage to show off, to correspond to the Latin American affection in Florida. The performance of the Red Bull and an aggressive maneuver by Pérez frustrated his weekend. Verstappen, in a strange weekend, was also unable to win against a stronger Norris who achieved his first victory in Formula 1.

Miami was the first race at home for Checo Pérez. One of the most Latin American cities in the United States has staged its third Formula 1 race. The Mexican, with all the Latin American flags on his helmet, is one of the main focuses of attention. Of course, behind Verstappen, three-time champion. Pérez is an absolute magnet for publicity and euphoria. For the second time this season, a special edition cap by the Mexican collapsed all online sales weeks before he debuted it in Florida. And Red Bull, a marketing machine, falls in love with it. The other races with overflowing affection for Checo will be those in Austin, Mexico City and Las Vegas.

Glamor radiated the international circuit of Miami with visits from all kinds of characters. From the singers Camila Cabello, Luis Fonsi or Marc Anthony to Zinedine Zidane and even McLaren’s guest: Donald Trump, former president of the United States, who walked through the garages in a suit with 27 degrees on the thermostat. The pilot from Guadalajara, however, was somewhat upset. In the sprint race he finished third, although in qualifying for this Sunday he could not achieve more than fourth place. The biggest problem for all drivers was the aggressive degradation of the tires on the asphalt.

At the start, Pérez had to overtake the two Ferraris. Sainz, in the first edition in Miami in 2022, was frustrated by the podium. In 2023, the Mexican was able to capture the podium with a second place. This Sunday, the Mexican wanted to be very brave and, despite his attempts, nothing came of it. He ended up braking late, damaging his tire and losing a position. He almost ruined the race for Verstappen and the Spaniard. The one who knew how to take advantage was Oscar Piastri from McLaren, who managed to sneak even into second place.

Pérez had to take care of Norris and try to hunt down Sainz and Leclerc. And the dilemma returned: squeeze the tires as much as possible to shorten distances or dose to wait for the key moment? Pérez began to feel the heat of the pressure that Norris put on him from lap 14. The red buffalo driver came out to change tires on lap 18, he was the first to do so among the top five places. The Red Bull mechanics helped him with a quick tire change: 1.9 seconds.

The slope was long for the Mexican who had to climb from tenth place. While he was in the waiting line to pass, a collision caused by Magnussen to Sargent caused a safety car, something that made things easier for me to change tires. One more possibility but as the laps passed, the Mexican could not overcome Sainz and Hamilton was approaching the boy sponsored by fortune Slim. Piastri was knocked out of the top positions after a collision with Sainz. The performance problems weighed down the Mexican’s Red Bull (and even Verstappen’s) by not being able to do much more.

The Mexican missed the opportunity to celebrate 40 podiums in his career in Formula 1. His next opportunity will be in Emilia Romagna, on Sunday, May 19. The runner-up position in the World Championship is also tight with Leclerc who has managed to remain consistent and with Norris.

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