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Quick Answer
Sergio Perez will contest his 300th Formula 1 Grand Prix at his home race in Mexico City on Sunday 1 November, driving for Cadillac. A free public show run on Paseo de la Reforma takes place today, Wednesday 28 October, at 10:00 local time.
Quick Answer
Sergio Perez will start his 300th Formula 1 Grand Prix at the Mexico City Grand Prix on Sunday 1 November, in front of his home crowd, driving for Cadillac in the team's debut season. Before any racing happens, Perez will drive a Cadillac in a free public show run along Paseo de la Reforma in Mexico City today, Wednesday 28 October, from 10:00 to 12:30 local time. That is 16:00 London time, 17:00 Berlin and Paris time, 11:00 Eastern Time in New York and Toronto, 08:00 Pacific Time in Los Angeles, and 21:00 Pakistan Time. The show run is a celebration, not a race. The race that matters is Sunday, when Perez chases something Cadillac have not yet achieved in 2026: a single championship point.
What is happening today in Mexico City?
The Mexico City Grand Prix organisers and Cadillac announced the show run as part of Perez's 300th Grand Prix celebrations. It is free and open to the public, and it will be streamed online. Perez will drive the Cadillac car along Paseo de la Reforma, one of Mexico City's most famous avenues, in front of fans who have followed him since his debut.
This matters because Perez missed the 2025 season entirely. He left Red Bull after 2024, spent a year away from the grid, and returned in 2026 with Cadillac, the new eleventh team, alongside Valtteri Bottas. His home race in 2026 is therefore not just a milestone number. It is a return. His best home results remain third place in 2021 and 2022, when he became the first Mexican driver to stand on the podium at his home Grand Prix. Those podiums came with Red Bull. This weekend he arrives with a team that has not scored a point in 18 races.
Cadillac have also marked the occasion off track, with a limited Sergio Perez Edition Escalade-V and a special helmet design featuring the number 300. Those details are fun, but they are not the story. The story is whether a home crowd can lift a team that has spent the season at the back, and whether Perez can turn a celebration weekend into a points weekend.
What does 300 Grands Prix actually mean?
Perez made his Formula 1 debut in 2011. He has six Grand Prix victories, spells with Sauber, McLaren, Force India and Racing Point, Red Bull, and now Cadillac, and a reputation as one of the best tyre managers of his generation. Reaching 300 starts puts him in a very small group of drivers who have lasted that long at the top level. It also means this weekend is a career landmark that will be remembered even if Sunday's result is modest.
The milestone also frames the Cadillac project honestly. Perez said after Austin that he expects the team to be competitive by mid 2027 as its development programme continues. That is not a promise for this weekend. In Austin he was knocked out in Q1 and finished 19th, a lap down, blaming a pit stop that came too early and left him stuck among blue flags. His 10th place in Monaco was lost to a post race penalty. Cadillac remain the only team without a point in 2026. A home point on Sunday would therefore be a genuine breakthrough, not just a nice story.
Can Antonelli win the title in Mexico?
Yes, and he needs very little to do it. After his pole to win victory in Austin, his ninth win of the season, Kimi Antonelli leads the championship with 365 points. George Russell is second on 242 points, Lewis Hamilton third on 241, Max Verstappen fourth on 236, Charles Leclerc fifth on 233, and Lando Norris sixth on 211. There are 125 points left after Austin, across five races, with no fastest lap point in 2026.
The maths are simple. Antonelli becomes champion in Mexico if he scores two points, which means finishing ninth or higher, or if neither Russell nor Hamilton wins the race. Only a Russell or Hamilton win, combined with Antonelli scoring one point or less, sends the title fight to Sao Paulo. If Antonelli wins in Mexico, he will be world champion at 20 years and 68 days on race day, beating Sebastian Vettel's record of 23 years and 134 days, and becoming the first Italian champion since Alberto Ascari in 1953.
Mercedes lead the constructors championship with 607 points, Ferrari have 474, and Red Bull and McLaren are tied on 355. That tie makes every point in Mexico consequential even if Antonelli seals the drivers title early. Ferrari arrive with Leclerc on consecutive second place finishes and Hamilton fourth in Austin. Verstappen has five previous Mexico victories and a six race podium streak, and he took third in Texas. Norris finished fifth in Austin after tyre difficulties, and McLaren need stronger race execution to resist Red Bull.
Why is Friday practice so crowded with rookies?
Friday's first practice session in Mexico will feature six rookie or reserve substitutions, one of the largest rookie FP1 lineups of the season. Teams must run a rookie driver in four FP1 sessions per season under FIA rules, and Mexico is a popular place to use those slots because the altitude makes data collection valuable, even if the session itself is disrupted by a new driver learning the track.
| Team | FP1 driver | Regular driver replaced |
|---|---|---|
| Mercedes | Frederik Vesti | George Russell |
| Cadillac | Colton Herta | Valtteri Bottas |
| Alpine | Gabriele Mini | Franco Colapinto |
| Williams | Luke Browning | Alex Albon |
| Audi | Freddie Slater | Gabriel Bortoleto |
| Aston Martin | Jak Crawford | Lance Stroll |
Vesti is the most experienced name here. He has been Mercedes reserve driver since 2024, he replaced Antonelli in Barcelona and Hungary earlier in 2026, and this is the first time in 2026 he replaces Russell. Mercedes deputy technical director Simone Resta called his work an ideal bridge between on track performance and the virtual world. Slater makes his official Formula 1 practice debut for Audi, replacing Bortoleto, and will do the same in Sao Paulo replacing Nico Hulkenberg. Mini makes his FP1 debut for Alpine, completing Colapinto's required rookie outings for the year. Herta's appearance for Cadillac is his fifth official practice appearance of 2026, and it comes with a Super Licence points dispute in the background: Cadillac believe he has 39 points, while an independent calculation gives him 38. All six regular drivers are expected to return for FP2.
For Antonelli, the rookie session is a minor complication, not a threat. He keeps his car, he keeps his programme, and he only needs two points. For Russell, missing FP1 is more awkward. He is the driver who must win to keep the title alive, and he will start the weekend one session behind his teammate.
Mexico City Grand Prix: full weekend times
Mexico City sits more than 2,000 metres above sea level, which is why cooling, aerodynamics and energy management dominate every preview. The thin air reduces downforce and makes brakes and power units work harder. The race is 71 laps at Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez, through the former baseball stadium section that cuts through the old Peraltada corner.
Session times below use Mexico City local time, with London, Berlin and Paris, New York, Los Angeles and Pakistan conversions. Note the United States clock change on Sunday morning: Friday and Saturday sessions are in Eastern Daylight Time, while Sunday's race is in Eastern Standard Time.
| Session | Mexico City local | London | Berlin and Paris | New York | Los Angeles | Pakistan | | --- | --- | --- | --- | | FP1, Friday 30 October | 12:30 | 18:30 | 19:30 | 13:30 EDT | 10:30 PDT | 23:30 | | FP2, Friday 30 October | 16:00 | 22:00 | 23:00 | 17:00 EDT | 14:00 PDT | 03:00 Saturday | | FP3, Saturday 31 October | 11:30 | 17:30 | 18:30 | 12:30 EDT | 09:30 PDT | 22:30 | | Qualifying, Saturday 31 October | 15:00 | 21:00 | 22:00 | 16:00 EDT | 13:00 PDT | 02:00 Sunday | | Race, Sunday 1 November | 14:00 | 20:00 | 21:00 | 15:00 EST | 12:00 PST | 01:00 Monday |
In the UK every session is live on Sky Sports F1, with the race at 20:00 on Sunday. In the United States Formula 1 is exclusive to Apple TV in 2026, with F1 TV Premium included. In Mexico, TelevisaUnivision holds the rights, with sessions on Sky Sports in Mexico and selected races free to air on Canal 5. Elsewhere, check the local rights holder or F1 TV.
What to watch for, beyond the title?
First, Perez's race pace on Sunday, not his show run today. A Q2 appearance would be progress. A point would be a landmark for Cadillac. Second, Ferrari's momentum: Leclerc has finished second in the last two races, and a win in Mexico would keep the constructors fight alive even if the drivers title is settled. Third, Verstappen at a track he loves: five wins in Mexico City is a record that matters for race day, even if the championship is out of reach. Fourth, the rookie FP1 data: at altitude, a wrong cooling choice on Friday can ruin a whole weekend, so teams will be listening closely to Vesti, Slater, Mini, Browning, Crawford and Herta.
If Antonelli seals the title on Sunday, Mexico will be remembered as a coronation. If Russell or Hamilton win and Antonelli stumbles, the fight goes to Sao Paulo and the whole calculation resets. Either way, Perez's 300th start gives the weekend a human centre that the maths alone cannot provide.
Sources: Formula 1 and Mexico City Grand Prix organisers on the Perez show run, 28 October 2026; Cadillac team announcements; Mercedes, Audi, Alpine, Williams, Aston Martin and Cadillac FP1 announcements, 27 October 2026; F1 standings after Austin; Sky Sports F1 and Apple TV broadcast information for 2026.
Internal links: Formula 1 category hub on ofthepitch.com; Antonelli Can Win the F1 Title in Mexico: No 12 Stays, Perez Home Show and Full Weekend Times; Antonelli Needs Just Two Points in Mexico to Become F1's Youngest Champion: Title Maths and Start Times
Frequently Asked Questions
When is Sergio Perez's show run in Mexico City?
Wednesday 28 October, 10:00 to 12:30 Mexico City local time, on Paseo de la Reforma. That is 21:00 Pakistan Time, 16:00 London, 17:00 Berlin and Paris, 11:00 New York Eastern Daylight Time and 08:00 Los Angeles Pacific Daylight Time.
When is Perez's 300th Grand Prix?
Sunday 1 November, the Mexico City Grand Prix at Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez. It is his 300th Formula 1 start, driving for Cadillac.
Has Cadillac scored a point in 2026?
No. Cadillac are the only team without a point after 18 races. Perez finished 19th in Austin, and his 10th place in Monaco was lost to a post race penalty.
How can Antonelli win the title in Mexico?
He needs two points, ninth place or higher, or he needs neither Russell nor Hamilton to win. Only a Russell or Hamilton win plus Antonelli scoring one point or less keeps the title alive to Sao Paulo.
Who is driving in FP1 in Mexico?
Frederik Vesti for Mercedes, Colton Herta for Cadillac, Gabriele Mini for Alpine, Luke Browning for Williams, Freddie Slater for Audi, and Jak Crawford for Aston Martin. All regular drivers return for FP2.
When is the Mexico City Grand Prix race?
Sunday 1 November at 14:00 Mexico City local time, 20:00 London, 21:00 Berlin and Paris, 15:00 New York Eastern Standard Time, 12:00 Los Angeles Pacific Standard Time, and 01:00 Monday Pakistan Time.
