MEXICO CITY – According to his own assessment, this Formula 1 The season has been a huge disappointment for Sergio Perez.

But if there is one place he can turn the tables it would be at his home race, the Mexico City Grand Prix, which he regards as the best event on the F1 circuit.

“I know I had a terrible, very difficult season,” Perez said Thursday. “If I can get a strong result it could change my season in a big way.”

Did you change it enough to save your job at Red Bull? There’s something left to see.

Of course Perez signed two-year contract extension He will stay at Red Bull until June 2026. However, few people believe that he has retained his seat and could be replaced at the request of Red Bull advisor Helmut Marko.

Red Bull has admitted that the new contract contains performance clauses and Marko has openly praised the young drivers, keeping Perez in the thick of rumors. His latest flattery was directed at McLaren’s rising star Oscar Piastri, who promptly dismissed Marko on Thursday: “Not a week in F1 could go by without some comments from Helmut.”

Yuki Tsunoda admitted on Thursday that he still hopes to earn a promotion to Red Bull from sister team RB and hopes to see Liam Lawson officially promoted to Red Bull. Replaced Daniel Ricciardo He has been trying to show last week that he deserves a full-time seat at RB. Lawson was ninth last week in Austin, Texas.

Perez didn’t help his case with his own performance. He is winless for the first time since joining Red Bull in 2021, has just four podium finishes this year and sits eighth in the driver standings. Perez also crashed three times, which played a role at Red Bull in allowing McLaren to take the lead in the constructors’ championship race.

His decline came after a strong start to the year in which he managed four podium finishes in the first five races. He has now completed 14 races without a podium finish.

“Acceleration is very important in Formula 1, you just put the car on the track and you know everything is working and you are way ahead of the people who put the car on the track and have a lot of problems,” Perez said. he said. “I think it’s the same for everyone. But I also know how this sport works and it’s all about your last race.”

He now hopes for a repeat of 2021 and 2022, when Perez reached the podium at the Autodromo Hermanos Rodríguez in both years. His finish in 2021 made him the first Mexican driver to reach the podium at the event, and Perez celebrated by bringing his son along to collect the trophy.

“I think that moment with my son watching me on the podium with me will stay with me forever,” he said. “I hope it’s something he’ll remember forever, and if not, at least I have a picture to show him when he’s old, you know? “I think those moments were really important to me and hopefully I can repeat those moments this weekend.”

To do so, he will need to avoid a performance similar to last season when Perez collided with Charles Leclerc on the opening lap to end the race immediately. But he moved past that and focused solely on helping Red Bull and getting his own season back on track.

“I think it’s Formula 1; sometimes the results don’t come and you just have to make sure you keep your head down, focus on the things you can control and the rest is things you can’t disturb.” said Perez. “I feel like I’m in the same boat as the team. We found a big problem in Monza and we’re heading in the right direction after Monza.”

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