Formula 1’s race in Mexico has a new three-year deal, but will Sergio Perez get back on the grid to be part of it?
Perez’s exit from Red Bull at the end of 2024 means this year’s Mexico City event will be the first without a home driver in the race's modern era.
Losing the most successful Mexican driver in history meant a potential hit in the atmosphere, attendance and ultimately calendar security of this race.
While the first two outcomes are still to be determined, a new three-year deal running to 2028 inclusive shores up the future of a race that has worked hard to be economically viable regardless of Perez’s presence.
An extremely well promoted grand prix, which has backing from the city government, the Mexico City race is an impressive, fit-for-purpose modern F1 event even though the circuit does not lend itself to a particularly entertaining race.
The plus points for the city and the country go beyond a single driver, hence this new deal being struck when Perez is on the sidelines and - as it stands - there is no firm news about his future.
But there is little doubt that a Perez return would boost the chances of F1 continuing to thrive in Mexico, and the race being justified. And Perez is keen to come back.
He said last month that if he felt “there is a project that makes sense to me, and also with the regulations changing for 2026, taking a year out won’t have any impact if I were to come back”.
So what are the chances?
Well, if Perez is at the Miami Grand Prix this weekend as expected, he will have a chance to poke around himself to find out. The options aren’t vast, but are better than they would have been without an 11th team joining the grid next year.
Although Perez claimed last month that he had been “approached by a few teams since Abu Dhabi” last year, there are few realistic choices.
None of the top teams would seem to be an option, while in the midfield the only vacancy would appear to be at Alpine - which has plenty of younger alternatives of its own. Other seats that could have been a possibility 12 months ago - Williams, Haas, and Sauber/Audi - are all occupied.
That is why the incoming Cadillac team could be a useful option for Perez, and has been relentlessly linked with him since he was dropped by Red Bull.
It also potentially ticks the main box for Perez, who said a comeback would be “very attractive” if he found “a project that motivates me fully, where the team believe in me and where they appreciate my career, my experience and everything I can bring to a team”.
Teaming up with a new entry would seem a win-win, and history suggests that picking one experienced driver is the way Cadillac should go.
Perez’s problem is that he is not the only contender - Valtteri Bottas is another very good option in the ‘experienced driver’ camp and there are others too, such as Kevin Magnussen or Zhou Guanyu.
Cadillac team boss Graeme Lowdon said in early March: “Do we see experienced, capable drivers, in fact, very talented drivers, who currently aren't on the grid? Yes, we do.
“So we are going to be quite busy talking to a few people. My phone has certainly been busy, that's for sure.
“There are easily half a dozen, if not more candidates out there who offer extremely good credentials to be in F1 or to be in F1 again.”
Aside from Perez, Mexico's other strongest hope is probably IndyCar star Pato O'Ward.
He is McLaren's F1 reserve driver after his IndyCar season finishes in August, but long-term deals for Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri make it unlikely O'Ward can fight his way onto the grid any time soon.
