The Mexican driver Sergio Pérez contests this Sunday, November 1, 2026, his 300th Formula 1 race at the Mexico Grand Prix, held at the Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez in the Iztacalco borough. At 35, the Guadalajara native reaches the milestone at home, with Cadillac and with a contract renewed through 2029, according to El Financiero.
The return of a Mexican driver to the capital's circuit is visible in the grandstands. Saturday's qualifying session on October 31 drew 147,889 people, above the 142,951 of the same day in 2025, according to El Financiero. For Mexico City, the event is a piece of the international sports calendar with a measurable economic effect. The Confederación de Cámaras Nacionales de Comercio, Servicios y Turismo projects an economic impact of 21 billion pesos, 6% more than the 19,840 million of 2025, with hotel occupancy near 85% and benefits to 305,000 economic units, according to El Universal.
On track, Saturday's qualifying left Pérez eliminated in Q1, forced to start from the back of the grid in his first home qualifying session with the American team. The pole went to Lewis Hamilton of Ferrari, followed by George Russell of Mercedes, Charles Leclerc and Kimi Antonelli, according to Expansión. Pérez has six wins in the top category and was world runner-up in 2022 and 2023. On his team, he said on Wednesday, October 28: "Building a Formula 1 team from scratch requires time, constant work and patience, but the progress we are making together is incredibly rewarding." Antonelli leads the championship with 365 points, 123 more than Russell, and secures the title if he finishes ninth or better.
The race starts at 14:00 and is set for 71 laps, with Mercedes leading the constructors' standings with 607 points to Ferrari's 474. The result will determine whether Antonelli is crowned in Mexico, 73 years after the last Italian title, and how many points Pérez adds in his first season with Cadillac, the team he will stay with through 2029.
This article was written with the assistance of artificial intelligence from verified sources and reviewed by a human editor before publication.