When Colombians watch this Sunday at 3 pm (Star+ TV) the start of the Mexico City Grand Prixvalid 19 of the Formula 1 World Championship, the memory of the project of a race in the country – which unleashed so many comments in the last year due to the real approach of the plan in Barranquilla for a not so distant future – will gain even more echo.
(You can read: Who creates the Mexican Grand Prix trophy and what is it like? Here we tell you).
The CDMX GPwhich was classified from 2015 to 2019 as the best in F1, represents the model imagined in the Caribbean by Formula One Management (FOM), the operating and commercial company of Liberty Media, owner of the promotion of the motorsport world championship.
Anchored in the tradition of Mexico, which hosted its first Grand Prix in 1962, it has highlighted the cultural and entertainment experience that the race weekend symbolizes. Not in vain, the one from the Manito country is the one that has attracted the most attendees in the world in recent years (in 2022 it registered 395,902 people in the three days of programming). And in the midst of this particularity, which has survived tensions that mean that, for example, the GP today bears the name of the capital city and not the country, there is a great piston: Sergio ‘Checo’ Pérez.
The pilot from Guadalajara, who last weekend entered the top 10 drivers with the most F1 races in history, with 253, has been the king of the ‘F1esta’ in Mexico. The Red Bull man, even in the midst of a season of contrasts, is on his way to his second runner-up finish. This time, at an excessive distance from Max Verstappen, his teammate and early three-time champion.
On the eve of the eighth attempt to win his first Grand Prix at home, ‘Checo’ Pérez speaks with EL TIEMPO. And he does it with a logical conviction: a race in another Latin American country would favor the promotion of local drivers in a historically European sport.
(Also: Lewis Hamilton couldn’t stand it, he exploded against Verstappen, an unprecedented request).
In a year of contrasts, return to Mexico…
Yessss! This year unfortunately we have had many ups and downs. Everything started very well and since the start of the European season we have struggled a little, but it has been a period of great learning and I hope that this will help us to close strong and complete what has been a dream season for everyone on the team.
Why is the difference with Max this year greater than in 2022?
Well, Max has had an incredible year and his difference is not just with me, it is with the entire grid. The truth is that his adaptation to his car has been very good and he has known how to make the most of it. I’m happy for him, but I have to focus on doing my job and improving.
“The team has been ungrateful to Checo,” said Juan Manuel Fangio II about this season…
Everyone will always have an opinion. I am not aware of what is said on networks or in interviews. I am focused on my work on the track.
What conclusions do you draw then from what this year has been like?
To begin with, it has been a very long season. F1 is increasingly demanding and not just for those of us in the car. Recently, the competition has grown and the distances have been reduced, so I think this could mean a much tighter 2024.
Is the difference between Red Bull and the rest ‘healthy’?
We have worked very hard since it became known about the changes to the technical regulations that came last year and that has been reflected on the track. However, it is not something new in F1 for a team to be dominant. What has undoubtedly generated Red Bull’s dominance is that the rest of the teams look for ways to catch up and maximize their performance, which has benefited the show.
Lewis Hamilton, third in the standings, criticized that Red Bull is already working on the 2024 car…
I’m not aware of what he said. Everyone has their opinion. I focus on what I can control, on doing my job and meeting my goals and those of the team.
As the only Latin American, how do you see that this year the option of a Grand Prix for at least 2026, in Barranquilla, fell?
The truth is that it is a shame that there is no race in Barranquilla, but I am sure that a door was opened that could provide more options in the future.
What do you think would represent another race in Latin America?
Well, of course for all of us as Latinos it would be a great thing to run more tests where Spanish is spoken because that also benefits the pilots, so I hope it happens.
In your case, what do you feel your international figure has represented for Jalisco and Mexico?
It is a great honor and a great opportunity to show how great our state and our country is. It is a responsibility that I carry with great affection and I feel like an ambassador with great pride.
With the championship assured for the team and his teammate, what is ‘Checo’ Pérez’s big goal for the rest of the year?
The team knows what I can give and honestly it would be incredible to win in Mexico and of course the objective is to finish with the runners-up position. There is no time for more.
ANDRÉS FELIPE BALAGUERA SARMIENTO
BREAKING NEWS LEADER EL TIEMPO
@balagueraaa
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