Sergio Perez 'can dream' of home F1 win in Mexican GP
With the COVID-19 pandemic forcing Mexico off the F1 schedule for the 2020 season, Perez heads into this weekend’s returning event with a genuine chance of becoming the first Mexican driver to win their country’s grand prix following his move to Red Bull.
Perez has never finished higher than seventh at the Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez circuit since the venue was reinstated to the F1 calendar in 2015, but having race-winning machinery leaves him feeling optimistic about improving his record.
“Incredibly excited, I am so much looking forward to it,” Perez said. “My country has been so supportive of me throughout my career and I always love the chance to race in front of those fans.
“People are always blown away by the support I receive here in Mexico but they have always backed me, since many years ago, when my career was first starting.
“It’s just great to finally have a team and a car that we can dream of a victory in my home country. We have a chance to make a big result happen this weekend, so I will prepare as well as I can and we will see what we are able to achieve.”
¡Hola lid! @SChecoPerez shows us his special-edition helmet for the #MexicoGP pic.twitter.com/Hal5Jd5j4B
— Red Bull Racing Honda (@redbullracing) November 3, 2021
Following a tough run of races in which he scored just 16 points, Perez has managed to turn a corner recently by scoring third place finishes at consecutive events in Turkey and the United States.
Red Bull team principal Christian Horner believes Perez’s confidence has been boosted due to finding a set-up breakthrough that better suits his driving style.
"It’s been coming for the last few races,” Horner said after the race in Austin.
“Monza he was strong, Sochi he was strong, he should have been on the podium at both of those races.
"He had a strong Istanbul, and he has been on the pace all the way through this weekend. So I think it's just confidence. We need him delivering at this time of year. It’s a great result for him today.
"I think we're managing to find a set-up that works for him. And managing to optimise the car around his style a little more.
"There are some important races coming up, so we need doing what he did [here]. He was unlucky not to get the pole. And so it's been great progress for him."
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