Huge seven-figure bill faces Red Bull if they ditch Sergio Perez

Carlos Sainz kept the good times rolling for Ferrari in Mexico, with the Spaniard storming to the red team’s second-straight victory, his fourth career win – as the Prancing Horse galloped past Red Bull for second in the constructors’ standings, its eyes on the top spot with four races to go.

And while Scuderia team boss Frédéric Vasseur had dismissed a title chase was front of mind in Austin, things changed south of the border.

“Since Monza, our car has now worked well at very different types of track, so I feel we can be competitive at the remaining races also,” he said.

In the paddock, there was no shortage of chatter against a backdrop of maximum Mexico: in styling – with Día de los Muertos (the Day of the Dead) festival held on the Saturday after the Grand Prix, November 2nd – and cuisine, with the Taqueria a big hit, including with many of the drivers.

Huge buyout if Red Bull opt to get rid

Naturally, Sergio Perez’s future was the big story, with the Mexican stating pre-event that he’s staying at Red Bull, despite enduring a “terrible season”.

"In the end, I'm part of a team, part of an organisation, and imagine you've been with the best team in the world for four years, and they've just renewed you for two more years,” he said.

“So, they value my work and that's why I'm still there.”

But, Checo’s career destruction looked complete on home soil, as the “worst GP” he’s had at home  – following a fifth Q1 elimination in qualifying this season, and 17th place finish in the Grand Prix (11 places behind teammate Max Verstappen, who was handed two 10-second time penalties).

Pérez, who was last on the podium in China, six months ago, has played a major part in Red Bull’s slide down the constructors’ standings – with the works team now third behind McLaren and Ferrari. But it’s reported that Red Bull can’t just jettison the Mexican, with a £3.85 million ($5m) contract buy-out required, according to ESPN.

Drivers disagree over rule change

Checo’s teammate Verstappen was also under fire, after he ran Norris off-track twice for 20-seconds (across two penalties) added to his stop – with the Dutch world champion doing similar in Austin, though there Norris was penalised for passing him while both were off-track.

The FIA has since taken action, with the governing body planning to introduce a reworded F1 racing guidelines document at the penultimate round in Qatar. It’s understood that changes have already been approved, with the final wording to be signed-off by the Grand Prix Drivers Association.

But, some members of the grid don’t think changes need to be made.

“No drama there,” said Sauber’s Valtteri Bottas. “It’s just that some drivers are pushing the limits of the regulations more, and almost like taking the piss out of it, but the rules are clear.”

Two grands prix in talks to extend deal

Behind the scenes, race promoters continued negotiations with F1 for contract renewals, including Mexico – whose deal runs out after next year’s event.

"We’ve already started conversations with Formula 1, with the [Mexico] city, and with government officials to form the right coalition to make this happen, and get an extension,” said event director Alejandro Soberon.

“We're fairly optimistic that we're going to have a race for many, many years."

The Mexico City Grand Prix is rightly one of the most popular on the F1 calendar, as a destination race, with grandstands annually packed to the rafters, including this year’s edition: the tickets for which sold out in just two hours for a weekend attendance of 404,958 people.

Also bargaining with F1 is Belgium, which also has a contract up to and including 2025, though it’s understood the promoters want an annual race at Spa – and not to alternate with the Netherlands. But, the pressure is on with F1 keen to expand in Africa and Asia – via talks with South Korea, Thailand, and Indonesia.

The paddock will be ready for a break after this coming weekend, however, with Brazil the last leg in the first of two triple-headers that close out the 2024 season. 

So it’s onwards to São Paulo, the southern hemisphere’s largest city, and home to legendary track Interlagos – where the sport will remember the late, great three- time F1 World Champion Ayrton Senna, 30 years after his passing.