The return of Mexican driver Sergio “Checo” Pérez to Formula 1 with Cadillac electrified the grandstands at Mexico City’s Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez this past weekend, where the three-day Grand Prix drew a record-breaking 405,363 fans.
According to official reports, attendance surpassed the previous record — set in 2024 with 404,958 — by 405 admissions. It also eclipsed the 401,326-person attendance seen at the 2025 Mexico City Grand Prix, at which Pérez was absent following his departure from Red Bull.
Fans’ enthusiasm began to take shape during the lead-up activities, including Checo’s Show Run along Reforma Avenue on Oct. 28, which drew over 100,000 people.
On the grandstands, Friday saw 102,122 attendees for the practice sessions; Saturday brought in 147,889 for qualifying; and Sunday drew 155,352 spectators for the race.
Pérez marked his 300th Grand Prix with a flying start, but trouble in the pits and a penalty hindered his chances of staging a comeback. After starting in 20th position on the grid, he gained six places during the opening laps, reaching as high as 13th position, but a slow pit stop around lap 32 and a 5-second pit-lane speeding penalty dropped him to 19th.
After Valtteri Bottas’s crash brought out a red flag, Pérez climbed to 14th, but he slipped back to cross the line in 17th position. However, following a 10-second penalty handed to Pierre Gasly for speeding under a yellow flag, he moved up to 16th — though still outside the points. Checo’s former Red Bull teammate Max Verstappen came in first, while 20-year-old Mercedes driver Kimi Antonelli finished third, becoming the youngest-ever champion of the F1 season.
Checo acknowledged that Cadillac’s problems during pit stops hindered his participation in the race, especially after having gained several positions after the start.
“We had a very good initial start, but then we had a very bad pit stop — the right-side wheel gun broke down and we lost 4 or 5 seconds — which meant we effectively lost the positions we had gained over the other drivers at the start,” Pérez said after the race.
However, he noted that racing in Mexico City again “was a very special moment.”
“I really missed it last year,” Pérez added.
With reports from El Financiero and Telediario
