Kevin Barrera arrived at 4:00 a.m. at the doors of Plaza Carso, the commercial epicenter of the Slim family. It was cold and a light, annoying rain was beginning to fall. He had to wait four hours for the start of Checo Pérez’s press conference. In the end he waited almost six hours, crowded against a glass barrier. The 23-year-old just wanted to have the best place to see the pilot, from more than 100 meters away. Barrera knew that reaching for an autograph or a selfie It was an act of faith. “It is because of the excitement of having a Mexican driver in Formula 1. It is very difficult for our country to have one,” he says.
Like Barrera, hundreds of fans gathered in the shopping center to look for a silhouette of Checo Pérez or someone known in the world of Formula 1. As if he were Bad Bunny or Taylor Swift, the Mexican was greeted with cheers. “Czech, Czech, Czech!” and “the tasty old man, the tasty old man,” in a reference to a meme that gained popularity in 2021. Perez, somewhat overwhelmed, could only wave and smile as he said goodbye. After the meeting with journalists, the Red Bull driver was going to participate in a soccer match with his teammate Max Verstappen. The fans, in a fit of frenzy, ran throughout the square to reach a soccer field on a terrace in the middle of offices. The security guards were overwhelmed by the number of girls and boys in Red Bull uniforms who wanted a picture to show off. Lots of chaos, even for journalists. “Young people, you better get off, they are not going to receive you, they are not going to let you pass,” warned a security man.
“I would like them to at least come up and greet the fans because we have been in the rain for a long time, without having breakfast. “I would like to see them up close,” adds Barrera, who did manage to sneak onto the terrace but not onto the mini soccer field. From afar he heard the screams of former soccer players like Jorge Campos, Iván Zamorano, Selene Cortés, Nailea Vidrio and even Arturo Elías Ayub, director of strategic alliances at América Móvil. Verstappen and Checo Pérez also arrived there.
The energy drink team drivers simply watched the game like parents watching their children in the park. “Max, Checo, come to the photo!” asked Arturo Elías Ayub. Jorge Campos, true to his style, refused to be a goalkeeper. Zamorano, a former Real Madrid player, began to give Pérez advice on his efforts. The F1 stars, at risk of injury, preferred to see everything from outside, under their umbrellas. They participated until the end with some style penalties shoot out. There Campos saved the three-time Formula 1 champion and then lent him his gloves to challenge Pérez.
Campos, the guy who can make a mute laugh, managed to get Verstappen’s lethargy to go away. Checo Pérez took advantage of the good vibes to feint and outwit his teammate on the grass. It’s not every day that the Mexican can beat the Dutchman at something. This was just the second of four events they had with the brands that sponsor both kamikaze behind the wheel before starting the Mexico City Grand Prix.
The game was over and the fans were still waiting. They had not been warned of anything. They were just waiting for some footballer or influencer, like Werevertumorro, gave them a photo. “I saw Checo on TV and today I said to myself: ‘Let’s see if I can see him up close.’ When he won his first Grand Prix [en Sakhir 2020] I appreciated all their effort, it was a source of pride,” says Dana Alemán, another fan. Her partner, Héctor Ramírez, missed work to try to find a souvenir. “We will not go to the Grand Prix, the resale was very ugly, we have to squeeze in every event to experience this euphoria for Formula 1,” she says. The fans were only left with the rain and the small trail left by their Checo.
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