This was supposed to be the weekend of redemption, but for Sergio Pérez, any hope of that was completely dashed after just eighteen minutes of qualifying. The Mexican driver didn’t survive the first cut, finishing in a humiliating eighteenth place.
The lack of support from his fans is not to blame. A wall of sound rises at the Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez when local hero Sergio Pérez zooms past in his Red Bull RB20. In the lead-up to his home race, the Mexican admitted to having a ‘dismal season’. The race in Mexico City was supposed to herald a turnaround.
Pérez is seeking redemption. Not just for the poor performances of recent months, but also for the flop of a year ago when his race ended in the first corner after a crash with Charles Leclerc. Despite all the fine words and new promises, Max Verstappen’s teammate delivers another dismal performance. Pérez only manages to stay ahead of Esteban Ocon and Zhou Guanyu. “Ah…”, is all the Mexican can muster over the team radio after the debacle. For the fifth time this season, he fails to make it past Q1. How much longer will Red Bull continue to protect the fallen star, despite a contract for 2025?
