Under contract until 2024, Sergio Perez has no guarantee of still driving a Red Bull next season. In front of his fans this weekend, the Mexican will (again) be under pressure.
Who will Max Verstappen’s teammate be next year? Will Sergio Perez, the number 2 of the now three-time world champion, still be in the seat of the fastest car in the paddock? Arriving at Red Bull in 2021, the Mexican will still have one year of contract on the evening of the last Grand Prix of the season on November 26 in Abu Dhabi. But his results in 2023, very checkered, place him on an ejection seat and his future, four races from the end of the season, is still not known. “Having a contract is not a guarantee of employment,” Helmut Marko, one of the influential leaders of the Austrian team, had indirectly threatened him at the beginning of September at Monza. does a job guarantee exist in Formula 1? It is in any case at best a contractual guarantee.”
Winner of two of the first four races of the year, in Saudi Arabia and Azerbaijan, Sergio Perez then quickly fell into line, only managing to reach the podium five times during the following thirteen Grands Prix. . Although second in the world championship, “Checo” suffers from the comparison with Max Verstappen whom he follows at…226 points in the drivers’ standings. Above all, numerous poor performances, including in qualifying, have weakened his position.
If Christopher Horner, the team manager of the Austrian team, has repeatedly made reassuring remarks about his second driver, the Englishman declared, as recently as this week, that there were many options to replace Sergio Perez if the latter was pushed towards the exit. Weakened, the 33-year-old Mexican, whose debut in Formula 1 dates back to 2011, knows that he will play very big in the month to come. Starting with this weekend where he will be able to count on the unconditional support of his many fans in Mexico. With the aim of adding a seventh Grand Prix to his list of achievements, and locking in second place a little more. Because, whatever people say about his season, Sergio Perez has never yet been vice-world champion.
What time to follow the Mexican Grand Prix?
There is an eight-hour time difference between France and Mexico, but there will only be seven hours on Sunday once winter time in mainland France passes during the night from Saturday to Sunday. It is in the evening that the different sessions of this Grand Prix will take place, from 8:30 p.m. Friday, 7:30 p.m. Saturday and finally at 9 p.m. Sunday for the start of the 19th Formula 1 race of the season.
- Free practice 1 at 8:30 p.m. on Friday October 27 (duration: 1 hour)
- Free practice 2 at 12 a.m. on Friday October 27 (duration: 1 hour)
- Free practice 3 at 7:30 p.m. on Saturday October 28 (duration: 1 hour)
- Qualifying at 11 p.m. on Saturday October 28 (duration: 1 hour)
- Grand Prix at 9 p.m. on Sunday October 29 (duration: 2 hours maximum)
On which TV channel to watch the Mexican Grand Prix?
The Mexican Grand Prix will be broadcast exclusively on the channels of the Canal group, holder of the rights to the Formula 1 world championship. The three free practice sessions will be broadcast on Canal+ Sport while qualifying and the Grand Prix, including the start will be given on Sunday in prime time, will be broadcast on Canal+.
- Friday October 27: Free 1 at 8:10 p.m. + Free 2 at 11:40 p.m. on Canal+ Sport
- Saturday October 28: Free 3 at 7:10 p.m. + Qualifications at 10:40 p.m. on Canal+ Sport
- Sunday October 29: “La Grille” show at 7:55 p.m. + Grand Prix at 9 p.m. on Canal+
The Mexico City Grand Prix? It’s tomorrow!
Pérez at home, Hamilton and Leclerc avenging, Red Bull closely followed, a route at an altitude of more than 2,200m… this is the program for #MexicanGP ! #F1 pic.twitter.com/Va4x4bYm9k
— CANAL+ F1 (@CanalplusF1) October 26, 2023
Do you prefer to follow the Grand Prix on your computer, tablet or from the warmth of your bed with your smartphone and your duvet? No problem, this nineteenth Grand Prix of the season will of course also be viewable in streaming. Two possibilities are open to you: access to the Canal+ streaming platform MyCanal or via the official F1 website, F1.com. Both will offer the entire practice sessions, qualifying sessions and races live but also in replay. On MyCanal, activating expert mode also allows you to combine screens, multi-cameras (including on-board cameras) and data, for example pilot times in real time. On F1.com, the live broadcast of the tests and the race is supplemented by replays, documentaries and even historical reminders via the F1TV Pro serviceoffered at 64.99 euros per year or 7.99 euros per month.